How To Fish For Clouds
by Rejar
Summary: It goes without saying that Reborn only ever introduces the most troublesome of people to Tsuna. A provocative informant with a sharp tongue, caffeine addiction and a healthy dose of narcissism is no exception there.
1. Benivieni Fiona

**I don't own **_Katekyō Hitman Reborn!_ in any way or shape. Credit goes to _Akira Amano_ for creating the series and making writing this possible.  
****

* * *

****Target I: Benivieni Fiona****

* * *

The woman out in the snowy streets clearly didn't belong to the small town of Namimori. It wasn't the expensive coat nor the strange antics that could only stem from foreigners—wearing sunglasses in the middle of winter, the youth these days!—that gave her away, nor the fact that her hair was a bright caramel color very unlike Japanese black. No, it was that much simpler.

She couldn't read Kanji for her dear life.

For the past hour she'd cocked her head from one side to the other in a vain attempt to decipher the markings on the road signs. The crowd simply passed her by in the beginning. Then they started approaching her with broken English, offering help in the most friendly manner that was common to this little town. She'd just as friendly declined—in fluent Japanese.

Word spread around and they left the strange foreigner in peace again.

In front of a road sign.

Alone.

Really, why_ was_ she still standing here?

She fumbled a piece of paper out of her pocket and stared at the mysterious signs written across it. It was supposed to be the name of the meeting place. _If_ she managed to find a matching set of signs out in the real world somehow to meet up at in time. Her last visit to Japan was a faraway thing some time ago down her business inquiries. With nothing but a hushed phone call beckoning her over, she was rendered all but aimless in the snowy city streets.

She glanced at the time on her watch, then left and right down the street of her misery. A fairly even chance of success. Her boots crunched through the snow indecisively when she eventually spotted something in the corner of her eyes that made her face light up like a belated christmas tree. The memory of a squeaky voice on the other end of the speaker echoed in the back of her mind and she just knew she hit a jackpot right then.

_"Oh, and concerning your part in training my student: If you happen to meet some form of Elvis impersonators on your way—give them a good, firm greeting. With lots of love." _Click, as he'd hung up after.

Stuffing the paper away, she crossed the gap between her and the duo of black leather jackets with wide strides and an even wider grin. She righted the shades on her nose. No longer aimless, no sir. "Time to ask some directions."

And once still waters rippled gently at the start of something new.

* * *

"Juudaime! What are your plans for today?" Gokudera asked with a goofy grin once he caught up with Tsuna among the mass of students.

The smaller boy looked up into the clear blue winter sky as they walked towards the entrance of the school. For once they had little to no homework or supplementary classes to do. It was an after-school Monday right out of the books, the air crisp with nearing spring. "I don't know. Maybe go to the—"

"He has plans," a familiar squeaky voice interrupted him mid-sentence. Just as the two boys started searching the close vicinity for the source, the school's courtyard next to them opened up and spew Reborn out right at their feet. With his usual fedora and smug smile.

"How many of these do you have?!" Tsuna exclaimed incredulous. Then the baby's words sunk in. "And what sort of plans? I never agreed to anything."

"Well, it's a little spontaneous." He did _not _like the sound of 'spontaneous' and 'Reborn' in one sentence. At all. But Reborn turned to look at him in the most cutesy baby way he'd recently developed, big button eyes wavering ever so slightly. "I thought you'd enjoy going on a date," he mock-pouted.

Against all his doubts, Tsuna's mind betrayed him for the briefest of seconds and his cheeks heated up despite the cold. "D-D-Date?" _With Kyoko-chan...!_

"That's great, Juudaime!" The silver-haired boy shook him wildly in his excitement. "I knew you could do it!"

"I didn't do anything," he retorted quickly and with stars dancing in front of his vision. Tsuna snapped his head back to Reborn. "And I refuse! Last time you arranged a date, the whole zoo broke out!" Then again, that had been Gokudera's fault from the start. Most of that day he'd rather banish to the depths of his mind anyway. Kyoko-chan did look very cute, though...

Reborn vaulted high into the air and kicked him in the head that it jerked to the side violently. "Pervert." Before Tsuna could even stutter an answer or protest at the spike of pain, Reborn casually nestled himself and Leon on his throbbing head. "Just the two of you, in a café. What could possibly happen there?"

Somehow he could imagine a great number of things involving the Mafia. None of Reborn's words were ever reassuring. None of his plans without _some_ sort of hook attached.

So why did he find himself dragged in front of a coffee shop ten minutes later?

"Nobody gets a 'no' when I say it..." he weeped with hunched shoulders.

Gokudera grinned from one ear to the other and gave him a reassuring pat on the back. Even through the woolen winter uniform it sent a shiver down his spine instead of motivating him. "Don't worry. I'll root for you from the sidelines." He pointed at one of the empty tables visible through the fogged glass. "You go in first!"

_That's the opposite of what I want, _he thought to himself as he placed a hand on the door handle. Trying to stop him once his mind was set he wouldn't even bother with. Gokudera would just give him a _very_ scary face. Instead Tsuna took a deep breath and braced himself for whatever was waiting in store for him inside. His heart beat furiously at the idea of having an actual, perhaps even _normal_ date with Kyoko-chan. A real, proper one this time. Some sort of apology from Reborn for his earlier doings.

He pressed the handle down and entered.

The inside was populated but not overly crowded. A steady buzz of voices and laughter reached his ears and warmth embraced his body the moment the door shut close behind with a bright jingle. The smell of spices and sweets made his mouth water but he shook his head to focus back on the task at hand.

His hands became sweaty and he gulped as he searched the cozy interior for a familiar bright brown head of hair. To his demise all he could spot were either couples or groups of girls, mainly from his school. With a lowered head, as if his feet were the most interesting thing in the world, he wound his way through the maze of tables. Maybe he'd come too early? Or too late? Did Reborn even mention a time? He could just order something and leave quickly to spare himself the humiliation of getting dumped in public—

"Over here, Dame-Tsuna."

"HIE!" He twitched violently, expecting a kick from any direction. When nothing came, he creaked open a lid only to spot Reborn looking him straight in the eye from his position on one of the dark tables. "Reborn!" Tsuna exclaimed after his initial start had worn off. "What are you doing here?" If he was here, somehow disguised as a waiter or something else unbelievable, the date would go to hell faster than he could flee the café.

It was then he noticed the pair of crossed legs beneath the table, dark knee-high boots snug and warm. His eyes wandered higher; hands, shoulders, a smile—

Reborn stretched his hand out in her direction. "This is Benivieni Fiona. Your date from Italy."

—shades glinting expectantly.

It was clear as day.

_MAFIA!_

* * *

The snow crunched under his shoes as he bent down on eye level with the two beaten members of his Disciplinary Committee. One was awake, the mobile with which he'd called still clutched between his fingers, but his head hung low and dipped to the side repeatedly, numb and exhausted. The once regent hairstyle glistened with melted snow and stuck wet to his face.

He brushed a tonfa across his jaw, slowly turning the head towards him. "Who did this?" he asked once they locked gazes.

A black bruise formed around one eye socket, swelling and shutting the lid. There were no other instantly accessible injuries on him. One glance to the right assured the same of the unconscious one; mirroring a similar bruised eye on his face. Now what could have possibly taken them out as swiftly?

Pale lips moved weakly at first, chilled from the cold, but the beaten man quickly caught himself when he received a piercing, steel-hard glare instead of mercy. "A foreigner. A woman." He gulped. Large fingers fumbled a crumpled piece of paper from his leather jacket. "She dropped this..."

He plucked the note from him and his eyes slanted to a dangerous expression.

Somebody was going to get punished._  
_

* * *

Tsuna shifted awkwardly in his seat. Silence had befallen the two. It didn't help that he self-consciously noticed the overly curious glances from his classmates after he'd startled the whole shop with his scream. Now they'd mutter all sorts of things behind his back about how he met up with strange women all alone. An adult even! He clenched his eyes close tight. What would Kyoko-chan think once she heard of this?

"Relax. I'm not gonna bite you." He snapped his eyes open again. The woman—Fiona—smiled warmly. She'd braided her hair over one shoulder, where it rested calm and heavy. The red cardigan's sleeves were rolled up to her elbow to reveal smooth, slightly tanned skin.

He was just about to open his mouth when the waitress brought them their drinks. He'd not managed to stutter out anything apart from "Hot chocolate, please", too befuddled was his mind with the current situation and how to best get out of it before it escalated as so many others Reborn placed him in. Fiona on the other hand had expertly ordered coffee and even made smalltalk with the serving female, showing off a maturity and calm he envied a little given the current circumstances.

"Maybe I should formally introduce myself again," she began as she poured some milk into the black drink. It brightened to a slightly darker shade than her hair. "I am a part of the Vongola family." She placed the cup to her lips, smiling against the rim. "And I came here mainly out of curiosity. Won't bother you with the details, Tsuna. Know that I mean no premeditated harm. Always my motto."

_Premeditated harm? _If that doesn't sound like someone he knew... "You're just like a combination of Dino-san and Gokudera-kun," he muttered as he cupped his drink to warm his fingers. Combining the outer appearance of Dino with the possible danger of the bomber, who really only _'acted out in defense'_ as he always said. Therefore Tsuna was wary. After all the last Italian female that had visited him had been Bianchi. And she was _still_ out to kill him.

She perked up at the names. "Dino was here? Why didn't he tell me?" She puffed up her cheeks sulkily that the sunglasses bounced once.

"Probably because he likes to neglect his work to spend more time with his little brother." _Eh? _Tsuna turned his head left and right. That was definitely Reborn's voice. But where did he hide this time?

Fiona didn't seem to notice the inconsistency. "Little brother?" She cocked her head to the side before she realized and pointed towards him. "Oh, that's cute. Kind of fitting, too, with both of you being Reborn's students and all."

Tsuna stopped in his search for said tutor. "Eh, you know?"

"Information is my job." The shades glinted dangerously. Tsuna gulped. Come to think of it, why hadn't she taken them off yet? The lights were dim enough as it was inside. Or did she hide some horrifying secret that would turn those that saw her eyes to stone? Did she even have eyes?

He took a quick gulp of his drink to calm the shudders racing up and down his body. Better not think too much about it. Just knowing she was part of the Mafia was a dangerous information on its own.

She leaned back comfortably into her seat, cup between her fingers as if she wished to be nowhere else in the world. "Besides, that's how I met Dino. Kind of stumbled across him in the Italian mountain range. Guy wanted to escape his training."

"E-Escape?" _Well, I'm not the one to judge him for his actions..._

"Good old times," Grandpa Reborn added with a shake of his head. Tsuna almost spew his drink out when he saw the usual fedora gone and a fake white beard glued to the baby's face. He brushed Fiona's braid away like a vine and showcased his newest look sitting on her shoulder. So that's where he's been hiding!

"I caught him before he could reach civilization, though," he continued proudly, waving his mini-crutch around.

Tsuna pointed a trembling finger in Reborn's direction. "You're just a baby! Don't go talking about old times!" He clutched his own hair and leaned in close, glancing to the side whether anybody listened in. "And stop talking so casually about such dangerous topics, too," he whispered harshly.

While he couldn't read Reborn's emotion behind the attached beard, Fiona apologized instantly with a slightly bowed head. "Of course. It's a little insensitive when you're clearly still only a kid."

Tsuna's face softened at the words and he noticed something that made her stand apart from Gokudera or even Dino. She offered a try at empathy. No pressure. No strange antics to put up with (Well, maybe apart from the sunglasses). It was a sort-of normal conversation with no word about being the Tenth. If somebody were to eavesdrop it would seem like they're talking about mutual acquaintances. She was simply _curious_ of him.

Of course fate decided to poke at his happy bubble right then and there.

"Oh, yeah. What's the deal with those Elvis impersonators? I actually found two, believe it or not," she asked Grandpa Reborn as she sipped some more of her coffee. _Elvis Impersonators? _A certain regent hairstyle popped up in the back of his mind but he shoved the memory away. Impossible. It couldn't be. There's no reason to actively search trouble. No premeditated harm, right? He reached for his hot chocolate. She was a normal human being after all.

"Did you _greet_ them?" he asked back.

"In the typical Vongola fashion." She smiled innocently. "I even_ carelessly_ left the note to trace back to me."

Reborn nodded solemnly. "Good job. I knew I could count on you." His eyes glinted scheming in Tsuna's direction. "Now all we have to do is deal with the Elvis Leader, right, Tsuna?"

He accidentaly inhaled the chocolate. A coughing fit shook his body and Fiona reached out to calm him but his mind screamed in panic. _Elvis Leader?! _They couldn't mean _him, _right? That's just impossible. Im-po-ssi-ble.

"Fiona could be in great danger," Reborn whispered to him as he landed on the table surface. Tsuna paled. He really meant _him. _Why would he do that sort of thing?! She wasn't involved in any of this (yet)! As he glanced over the woman patting his coughing back, he realized that she might've become victim of Reborn's scheme just like him. What to do—?

"She couldn't know what she'd been doing," the miniscule grandpa added. With no remorse whatsoever.

Tsuna's face derailed in utter shock. Definitely a victim! They're both victims!

As if to pop the last bit of his bubble, the door opened behind him.

The bell still jingled when Fiona looked past him to the newest guest entering. "Oh, you meant Smokin' Bomb earlier?" _Oh no. _Why did he have a bad feeling churning up in his stomach? It must be the cold breeze that entered when the door opened. It had nothing to do with the fact that the smell of tobacco and smoke suddenly filled his nostrils. Or that Fiona-san apparently _provoked_ the Disciplinary Committee. And that Reborn looked in his direction with those planning, scheming, baby button eyes.

"Get away from the Juudaime right now."

_Oh no._

He turned around with his hands raised, palms up. "G-Gokudera-kun, everything's al—_HIEEE!_ Put down the dynamite!" There stood the silver-haired genius from Italy with a fuming face, a lit cigarette... and about half a dozen dynamite sticks ready for battle. And all Tsuna managed was bubble up the rest of the inhaled hot chocolate all over his clothes while screaming.

Instantly a wave of sighs and swoons erupted from one side of the shop. "Gokudera-sama!" Oh, no! The girls from school were still in the shop. And they were completely oblivious to anything once they got enamored by his looks!

"He sure is popular," Fiona commented lighthearted.

Gokudera crossed the distance with such great speed, Tsuna could do nothing but blink stupidly. He grabbed a handful of her cardigan and shoved the sticks into her face, inches away from her nose. He could light them with the slightest tilt of his head, cigarette hanging from his lips. "I said: get away," he snarled low and dangerous. "_Fisher._"

Tsuna froze in his frenzy momentarily. _Eh? _What did fishing have to do with this? He shook his head. No time to get caught off-guard on random words. He had to defuse the situation as quickly as possible or somebody would get hurt badly. Mainly he. "Gokudera-kun, listen to me—"

"Don't trust anything she says, Juudaime," he interrupted but didn't take his eyes off her once. Tsuna couldn't understand the world any more. What was going on now? How had it spiraled down to this? Weren't they from the same family even?!

The warm smile around Fiona's lips turned stale and mirthless. "Why would I do any harm to him?"

Gokudera's hold on her tightened. "Don't play coy with me." The tension was palpable. Any moment a terrible fight would break out and he wouldn't be able to do anything.

The door crashed open again and all heads spun around to the newest intruder.

Hibari Kyoya stood in the doorway, tonfas drawn for a fight.

Tsuna stared at the prefect's bloodthirsty eyes. At the orange glowing end of the cigarette. At the swooning girls in the back. At the unyielding shades hiding emotions. This was just too much at once.

He fainted.

* * *

**The End!**

**Nah, just kidding. We're only starting! Welcome to _How To Fish For Clouds_!  
**

**I'm trying my best to write as close to the style of KHR as possible. We gotta have some fun with the group before we delve deeper into the story and seriousness, no? Which is a good time as any to say that I'll be following the anime timeline mainly. I _am_ mixing in some details from the manga (e.g. Gokudera actually smoking) but the alternating story style of the anime allows for more flexibility between the large arcs.  
**

**(Some) Unanswered questions get revealed in the next chapter. More get asked. Let Fiona's actions speak for herself. And tell me your opinions and assumptions so far! ;) See you all next time!**


	2. The Foreigner and the Skylark

**I don't own ********_Katekyō Hitman Reborn!_****.**

* * *

** Target II: The Foreigner and the Skylark**

* * *

Tsuna groaned as he slowly regained consciousness. His head throbbed like crazy. He placed a hand on his head as if that would ease the pain or the dizziness and forced his body to sit up.

Instantly regretting the decision.

"Juudaime! Are you alright?" Gokudera yelled, grabbing him tightly by his shoulders. His voice rung uncomfortably loud in Tsuna's ears but he shook the ringing off as best he could.

"Ugh. What happened?"

Gokudera smiled relieved. "With your perfectly timed fainting you helped us avoid the eye of the storm! Not that I wouldn't have stood my ground in the battle but I had to take care of you first," he added proudly.

Tsuna frowned. "What battle?" Then the memories suddenly all rushed back in. "Oh my god, Hibari-san actually appeared!" He looked around but there was somebody clearly missing. This was_ not_ a good start. Not good at all. "Where's Fiona-san?"

Instead of answering, his friend's features darkened visibly. "I told you she's dangerous..." Tsuna frowned at the words and got back up on his feet, dusting some snow off his pants when he took the scenery before him in clearly for the first time.

Where the fogged windows of the café had once invited him inside there was nothing left of them any longer but a gaping hole in the wall. The door hung askew. Brick and chunks of glass lay strewn across the concrete; a street lamp was bent in the middle, top touching the ground and its light broken to pieces. It was a scene of utter destruction.

"D-Did she do all of this...?" He couldn't believe it. She'd seemed so normal.

Gokudera peeked over his shoulder. "Oh, this?" He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I bombed us a way out. Don't worry about it, Juudaime. Looks worse than it is." Tsuna stared at him, mouth wide agape. _You're the only dangerous one here!_

It took him a few utterly shocked seconds to gather back his words. "Looks worse than it is?! What happened to the guests inside?!" he yelled increduled.

"Everybody already fled because of Hibari's and that chick's fight. My first priority was getting you out and into safety. Hibari's furious."

Tsuna felt shivers travel down his spine. He was glad he didn't get to meet an angry Hibari anytime soon again. Their last meeting was still etched into his memory with a very negative taste. "Thanks," he drawled out with a tiny voice eventually. A headache was well on its way.

Together they made their way through the rubble. Best get out of here before the repair costs ended up stuck with him again. Gokudera lit a cigarette between his lips. "I wonder why Hibari wanted to attack her that badly. I mean _I _have actual reasons but those two shouldn't know each other."

"I-I think she attacked some of his men..." Tsuna trailed off uneasy, paling at his own words once he spoke them aloud. That nice woman actually attacked members of the Disciplinary Committee. Okay, she was Mafia after all. But still, you had to be out of your mind to willingly attack those delinquents! "Why would she do that?" Then again she was a foreigner and new to Namimori. She couldn't have known the consequences of her actions. She got dragged into it. Right?

Gokudera let out a puff of smoke. "Beats me. It doesn't matter anyway. I don't trust her."

"If that's your issue with older people again..." _It's stupid,_ he finished mentally. We went through that with Dino once already.

"But The Fisher doesn't appear without a reason!" he threw back agitated, trying to save his dignity. Tsuna furrowed his brows. Again with the fishing. "She's disappeared for two years and now she pops up _here _out of all places? Something's not adding up. She's got to have a—"

"That's right." The boys spun around at the sound of the voice. Reborn sat on one of the gray walls marking a house's property. Leon crawled across his lap.

Gokudera's usual frown deepened if that was even possible. "Do you know the real reason why she's here, Reborn-san?" He placed an arm protectively over Tsuna's chest as if it dawned on him suddenly. "Is it to spy on the Tenth?! Who's paying for the information—I'm going to kill him!"

No way! "Can somebody tell me what's going on here?!"

Reborn righted his hat. "_I_ called her."

* * *

Fiona was at an impasse, both in mind and the literal sense. Clearly her pursuer knew the streets of Namimori in and out while she simply relied on chance that the next corner would offer the means of shaking him off. It was another dead-end instead. She spun around, trying to outrun him again but he was quicker this time.

Like a predator toying with cornered prey he took tantalizing slow steps closer towards her. Both tonfas were at the ready, craving for her body. She pressed her back into the wall. "Are you a hitman?" she asked out of curiosity. The deadly intent, terrific reflexes and fighting spirit he'd sharpened to such a great level, it could be a real threat to consider. Had to change up her tactics if that were the case.

He didn't take his eyes off her. She'd run far and wide to _avoid_ battle with him but he clearly grew tired of playing cat and mouse. His fingers tugged the black jacket slung across his shoulders further forward so she could see the red band on the sleeve as if that were all the answer she would need.

Too bad she couldn't decipher the stupid thing.

She narrowly dodged a hit aimed at her head and jumped to avoid the follow-up to her stomach. "You're fast," she muttered and pushed herself off the wall as he targeted the arm trailing the bricks. _And he knows where to strike, too!_

"And you should stop moving," he said in a smooth voice. It's unbelievable how this simple a boy could hide such tremendous strength within that lean body of his. Not that she would let him have the pleasure of capturing her yet. This was not part of the plan. Actually, nothing of this was but that's almost beside the point.

"So you can 'bite me to death'?" she quoted. Funny as the saying was—she won't deny snorting upon hearing that one-liner—the breaking splinters of the table she had been sitting at _weren't_.

Okay, so maybe she did expect something along the lines. She's not a professional mafioso for nothing. Your typical _Vongola_ _Greeting_ involved either a finite threat (Don't ever mess with us again) or an open provocation (We can do this all day long if you don't cooperate) and she may have taken a little too much pleasure in dealing out aforementioned greeting. She'd been out of the loop for two years, it was just a little miscalculation.

Still, it was supposed to promote part of Tsuna's training: _"Now all we have to do is deal with the Elvis Leader, right, Tsuna?"_

Only that when Sawada Tsunayoshi fainted the _we_ became _she._

His foot shifted slightly towards her. "I prefer my head where it is," she chirped. Instantly the tonfa sailed down again. Fiona dodged beneath the attacking arm and slammed into the opposite wall of the alley. All air rushed out of her lungs upon impact and she coughed miserably. By now she'd gladly squeeze Reborn's windpipe hard enough until he shared some of the pain he put her through. It didn't matter whether or not he was her current boss by contract. That baby sure took his time in getting his tiny ass over here. She was only temporary distraction, damnit!

Fiona raised her palms up. Stop useless thinking. Boy is dangerous. Boy is attentive, too. Focus on the patterns.

_Pattern: furious fighter type. _She had to deal with him fast then because he seems like one hell of a short wire. Let's go with provocation because that's most revealing when dealing with angry men.

She threw him her most sympathetic smile and the next-best idea springing to mind. "Look, Elvis is dead. Since the late 70s, actually. There's no use deluding yourself any longer. I did you guys a—_uh-oh._"

She had just about time to watch tiny, sliced off caramel strands hover through the air before she rolled between his feet to the opposite side once more. She grasped the end of her braid. "Hey, don't you dare touch my hair like—" Another punch. She did every pancake a honor as she roll-dodged sideways along the wall. Forget about the hair for a second, brain cells have to focus on him. If she managed zigzagging her way out of the alley she might just survive this meet-up. So would her hair. Good plan. "I barely touched them! I swear they slipped on their own! You know how icy it gets in winter!"

Next wall—Slam. Oh, marvelous plan this was. Really sophisticated.

With the potential tenth generation Mafia boss out of her way she allowed herself to throw courtesy out of the window. She'd given her first impressions and gained the ones she needed. Now she could curse all she wanted. It's not like she meant any _real_ harm. "I fucking hate you, Reborn," she muttered under her breath as she sensed the tonfa incoming; that quiet cutting through the air—

He slammed the weapon into the wall right next to her head.

Now that was unexpected.

"The infant?" he asked. From this close she could spot the faintest blue within the unrelenting steel of his eyes.

Fiona blinked. "The mention of a baby hitman makes you stop but every female pleading you crush mercilessly. The irony." She rolled her eyes, using the brief break to gauge her chances at escape. She could make it in one go if she played things right. One precise jump and she was out on the open street and back to running.

He smiled. Not in a friendly way, oh no. It was a cruel and smug smile that hinted at his bloodthirsty nature and the wrath he could unleash on her for her unjust actions. His breath brushed her face when he spoke up. "If you take me to the infant I can make this quick and painless."

Well, if he offered so generously... "Sure." He tilted his body back slightly. Not much but all she needed. She grinned. So easy to play with. He was just a boy after all. "Write down your number and I'll call ya later."

The next strike crumbled the wall where her head had been a split-second ago.

She whistled in awe as she danced out of reach. Man, he didn't like that one. At all. "Are you _sure _you're not a hitma—"

Spikes sprung up from his tonfas.

She turned tail and ran like the devil chased her.

* * *

"Just to make it clear again: I still don't want to do this," Gokudera stated with crossed arms and a clearly annoyed expression. He leaned back against a house wall and as far away from the group as was acceptable.

Yamamoto laughed lighthearted. "Come on. It'll be fun. It's a real life treasure hunt!"

That comment alone sunk his mood even lower and he groaned unnerved. He pointed one finger from its crossed place at the crouching black-head. "Who invited the baseball freak to this?"

"This is a Vongola Rescue Team. Of course he's part of the operation," Detective Reborn answered instantly with his chic, checkered coat. "This also makes for good tracking training." He pulled out a magnifying glass and looked at them with one enormous eye. "The snow leaves distinctive trails to follow."

Tsuna had to withstand the urge to bang his head against the nearby wall. "Stop dragging innocent people into this, Reborn! This is not a game!" _Yamamoto, please leave now. It's your last chance! _The boy just smiled, glad to have something to play, unable to hear Tsuna's inner pleading.

The enlarged eye blinked twice. "But every player is a Vongola mafioso. The Mafia isn't innocent."

"Nobody is from the Mafia but you!" he screeched back. Tsuna craned his neck up into the sky. It was still as clear blue as before but somehow the fleeting thought of relaxation seemed so far away now. How did the day turn out like this?! "If you hadn't called Fiona-san over she wouldn't have to worry about _dying_ right now," he whined. "You purposedly let her deal with Hibari-san on her own!"

Reborn stared at him. "Well, you fainted, Gokudera carried you off. Somebody had to lure him away in the meantime." He flicked some dirt off his coat. "At least she reacted quickly. That's true Mafia spirit."

"Stop rubbing salt into my wound! I know I lack—Wait, I don't even want that kind of spirit!"_  
_

"So, who are we looking for?" Yamamoto asked eager and ever-optimistic. On the ground between them they'd laid out a map of Namimori.

Detective Reborn pulled out a booklet and scanned its contents. "About 165cm tall, Italian, female, fashionista, also a sunglasses fetishist—" _What sort of information did he gather?! They're useless!  
_

"Oh, it's a fellow countryman then! Or woman, you know," the black-haired boy clapped Gokudera's leg whose expression only further darkened. He was clearly not happy at all with the current situation and mumbled incomprehensible things that involved a certain 'baseball freak' in many sentences. But even his head snapped up in surprise when Yamamoto pointed to something behind them suddenly. "Hey, could that be her?"

Tsuna and Gokudera looked over their shoulders. The snow was moving on its own...? No, wait a moment, _**something** moved the snow_—

"Somebody get him off meeeeeeee—!"

Like a whirlwind they whizzed right past them, gushing up hair and clothes and the map; snow raining down on them in a muddy arc. Tsuna just about managed to make out the quickly retreating blond braid jumping wildly into the horizon when Hibari himself raced by in pursuit barely a second later, a face of fierce determination and spiked tonfas clutched between his hands.

Then silence.

Gokudera cleared his throat. "You know, she looks fine to me. Let's just leave," he offered.

Tsuna felt something cool and hard press into the back of his head that he recognized as the end of a gun. Instantly he sat straighter. "I wonder what would happen once Hibari catches up with her." Reborn faked sadness and wiped a mock-tear away. "Such a short live she lived. And she threw it away for a complete stranger."

"Why are you pointing the gun at me?!" Tsuna flailed his arms around wildly. "I didn't say we'd leave her!"

"Gokudera didn't mean it like that, either," Yamamoto cut in as well, "He'd be the saddest of us three. They're from the same country, after all." Tsuna couldn't believe it. He still thought of him as an _actual_ baby. And Gokudera was on the complete opposite spectrum of emotions when it came to Fiona, too!

A high-pitched scream tore through the winter quiet of town. They didn't even need to exchange looks, already jumping to their feet and running towards the source of the scream as quickly as possible.

The snow was whirled up like a maze on the ground. Fiona had kept on going against the prefect far longer than he would ever give himself and she barely knew the guy's scary abilities. It was as depressing as it gave him hope that somehow she'd turn out healthy and smiling again. And that Reborn would stop rubbing his incompetence into his face.

"It should be just around the corner!" Gokudera yelled over his shoulder, leading them on despite his dislike for her. When they skidded to a halt Tsuna half-expected a blood bath.

They only found a teary Lambo in the middle of the street.

"What? It's just the cow," Gokudera muttered and pressed some fingers against his forehead.

Tsuna sighed in relief and crouched down next to the boy. "Lambo! What are you doing here?" _It's dangerous,_ he wanted to add,_ because there's two maniacs out of control. _But he would have to be blind not to notice the footprints leading away from this place. They'd been here._  
_

He sniffed and wiped some snot from his nose. "Lambo-san was patrolling the street... but then... then two crazies attacked Lambo-san!" He'd actually met them and lived to tell the tale! That brat owned more luck than brain.

On wobbly legs, he pushed himself up. The cow-printed suit and red gloves were muddy and when he looked down, he started to tear up again. "They pushed Lambo-san over," he continued. Then he rummaged in his bushy afro. Tsuna fell back into the snow. _Not the Ten-Year-Bazooka...!_

Instead of the purple bazooka he pulled out a pink grenade. Tsuna felt his heart sink. "Lambo, what are you planning to do with that?" he drawled out. Please, let him have more brains this time around. Just some tiny bit of a thinking process!

He raised the dirty gloves. "They were a present from Mama. Because it's cold outside." _Oh, no. _He pointed at the footprints. "Lambo-san will avenge Mama." _Nonononono!_

Tsuna was too slow.

His arms closed around air and snow when Lambo dodged out of his reach. He jumped onto his head when he spotted the opportunity, wiggling a short victory dance.

"You little—!" Gokudera tried to grab him by his hair but instead got Tsuna's mane as Lambo casually slid down his back and took off after his enemies. Tsuna yelped in pain and Gokudera apologized furiously but it didn't change the fact: Lambo was gone.

Every alarm in Tsuna's head shrieked. Worst-case scenario! Totally the worst!

"What do we do?! Hibari-san will kill him on the spot if he gets too close!" Tsuna cried out.

"Why did you only stand around doing nothing, baseball freak?!"

Yamamoto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, the other hand clutched around the bat Reborn gave him. "I can't hit a kid."

Before Gokudera could even think of retorting, Tsuna got in between the two. The headache worked fulltime now. All he wanted was for this day to end well. "It's enough! Let's just try to get Fiona-san and Lambo back before anything bad happens." He paled once more. His life was getting shorter and shorter with each chaotic day. "I don't want two deaths at my hands. I'm too young for jail."

The two squabblers nodded in unison. "Let's go!"

As the trio ran after the visible trail, Reborn didn't move from his vantage point on a snowy wall, watching their backs disappear behind the idyllic houses. He pulled his hat lower, the ghost of a smile crossing his lips.

"This is your family now."

* * *

She sneezed. "Okay, this is getting ridiculous."

"The herbivore doesn't like getting cornered?" he hummed amused. And amused meant trigger-happy in his case.

Fiona carefully slid her boot across the ice. Yes, this didn't look safe at all. There had to be a reason as to why nobody skated on the lake. Presumably that, oh!, _the ice was not thick enough._

"I'm an informant, not a fighter," she grumbled to nobody in particular. And also not the very best skater. Italy was not renown for their icy winters and she could practically hear the crystalline surface cackle at her every careful slide. "Let's call it a tie!" she yelled to the black-haired boy.

He slid closer towards her. "You should have thought twice before disturbing my peace." _That's all Reborn's fault!_ But instead of getting riled up, she simply sighed and drew a hand across her face in annoyance. Oh, was she still wearing sunglasses? She hadn't even noticed. At least he hadn't managed to break them so far. It was her favorite pair.

Push away the unnecessary. Focus on the important.

"What's your name, devil incarnate?"

He smiled, clearly pleased that his combat prowess got acknowledged by this lowly life that was her. Jerk. "Hibari Kyoya."

"Benivieni Fiona." She threw the braid over her shoulder. Keep it out of the way of this devil. "I'm proposing a deal. I won't run anymore if you listen. Promise." Since she was stuck with him and neither Reborn nor Tsuna managed to bail her out of this, it was time to face the danger head-on. Also: never listen to Reborn without proper research first ever again. His appearance may be angelic but his insides were twisted. Beginner's mistake.

She was met with silence. At last he cocked his head to the side in the slightest indication to continue. He was really getting tired of her, wasn't he? She was trying her best, thank you very much.

The frozen lake cackled at her again. Fiona pointed at their legs before she spread them further apart and lowered her body in anticipation of an attack. "Whoever looses his footing."

His eyes gleamed dangerously but he mimicked her stand. "Dies," he finished.

Oh shush, you!

While she expected another daring dash of his, even he was handicapped on the slippery surface and the attack lost most of its momentum. She easily ducked out of the way of his first attack—pattern: he likes to aim for the head—and pressed her palm into the freezing ice. With one strong push she circled away from him as quickly as he took after her. If she calculated things right she could get out unscathed as long as he kept to the proposed challenge. He seemed like the prideful fighter type after all.

Her heart raced when she heard the dubious sounds of ice creaking but the moment she checked her surroundings, he closed in, aiming for the newly created blind side. Instinctively her hand reached for the black of his jacket and threw it between his attack. The material got shredded to pieces under his spiked tonfas.

He peeked at her through the holes. "That's the second time you've violated something of mine today."

_Uh-oh._

_"YAAAAAH!" _A screeching scream interrupted what could have turned into the massacre of the century. Her hands flew to her ears and both their heads snapped to the source of the painful attack on their hearing.

Namely a cow.

Fiona cocked her head to the side quizzically. A cow on ice? Nah, had to be a calf. It was too small to be an adult cow. She scrunched up her eyes. A very bushy calf. With a stubby nose? She was just about to take off her shades when she heard the suspicious sound she dreaded to hear. _The cow's added weight...!_

The ice _cracked._

"Lambo! Get off the ice, it's dangerous—Fiona-san?!" She looked up again. Tsuna's familiar mane stood on the far side of the park's frozen lake. _Now_ he caught up. Way too late without a say, mister.

"No! Lambo-san found the crazies!" the cow/calf screeched. Wait, she remembered something blurry in the back of her mind. Something in a cowsuit this Hibari Kyoya so casually kicked out of the way...

"Hn. Herbivores flocking again," that very same boy said now. While she made out some more of the forms following Tsuna—a tall boy, the bomber that threatened her earlier—Hibari turned his gaze back to her and raised the tonfas to his chest. The ice cracked again, harsher this time.

Suddenly her little deal didn't sound so promising any longer. Their footing would disappear _very_ quickly if they continued. It was best she got out of here and abort the mission. Her little fighting was done and over with now that the Boss-in-training was here for some surely very twisted Reborn lessons.

For a moment she watched Tsuna rob across the ice with a horrified expression, gauging her escape routes. The cow danced around him uncaring. Then Hibari Kyoya's face was so close all of a sudden, she could feel the tips of his hair brush her nose when her body angled out of the danger zone. _Fast...!_

Almost toppling over, she circled away awkwardly with flailing arms until she managed a formidable distance to her opponent again. _Crack, crack, crack._ A throbbing burn diverted her attention from the fragile surface to her face. She raised her fingers to her cheek. Blood dotted them crimson. It was warm against her cold skin.

("Got him! Stay still, Lambo!")

She looked up into those bloodthirsty eyes.

("Way to go, Juudaime!")

He had no intentions of running.

("Lemme go, Dame-Tsuna!")

They had a winner to decide.

Excitement pumped through her veins. Her heart beat faster and she grinned; a toothy, awe-struck grin. "You're a lunatic." The blood trailed down her neck. Driblets dotted the ice red. A spike of his tonfa was darker than the others. What a pain in the ass, this guy. He really wanted to fight, despite the dangers.

She pulled the sunglasses off and secured them at the top of her cardigan. She didn't want them to break. They were her favorite pair after all.

"No! Lambo!" Tsuna yelled. It was too late again.

The cowsuit-boy struggled out of Tsuna's hold. He kicked back viciously but slipped on the icy surface, flat on his face. Something flew from his hands.

Hibari crossed the gap between them with uncanny speed.

The soaring object gleamed pink and small.

Steel glinted victoriously.

Tsuna's face of horror.

Grey tinted with blue.

The cold.

The burning—

"Don't avert your eyes."

—and the world exploded.

* * *

For a moment his heart forgot to beat. The cry got stuck in his throat. His ears rung. He couldn't hear what his friends were saying. Lambo's crying as they managed to fish him from a small chunk of ice. He could only watch as the smoke settled, unable to lift a finger to help.

And all he remembered was a warm smile over the rim of a coffee cup.

"Impossible," he heard himself mumble as he fell to his knees. How the ice crackled and exploded and the freezing water gushed up high. How they got flung back in a high arc. The painful landing that pressed all air out of his lungs and sent stars dancing in front of his eyes. But it was nothing against the emptiness he felt now. They were gone. Both of them. Just like that.

A slap brought him back to reality.

"Get a hold of yourself, Tsuna," Reborn's squeaky voice reprimanded him, standing on his lap. He pointed into the clearing smoke. "Look, somebody's coming."

The group sat rigid and tense and watched the shadow grow bigger the closer it got. Tsuna scrunched his eyes together but he couldn't make out any distinctive features in the lingering smoke. Agonizingly slow the body tore through the grey.

Hibari.

Alone.

Tsuna's heart sank right back where it had been. He looked up at the disheveled form of the prefect with pleading eyes. "Where's Fiona-san?" Grey eyes glinted once, a flash of something indecipherable, before they eventually shifted towards the left. They turned their heads.

"I think I lost my shades," she said as she clutched a bleeding arm.

With a smile.

* * *

**B'aaaww. She lives! *throws tissue paper away***** What a nice conclusion to the introduction. The protagonist still lives. I'm so relieved. Let the Ending music play.  
**

**Still not got enough of Fiona? Want to know what all that fishing is about? How she survived the blast? Why the hell she's here? Tune in next time! Where we _finally_ get some answers. Cookies to anyone who can guess in between/after which episode I introduced Fiona into the KHR cast.  
**

**Poison Cooking to those who don't guess right. Beware!  
**


	3. Indebted

**I don't own ********_Katekyō Hitman Reborn!_****. Leave a comment if you've enjoyed (or not enjoyed!) this so far. I'm not gonna bite and would love to hear from you all. :)  
**

* * *

** Target III: Indebted**

* * *

Fiona laughed. "Didn't I tell you to stop apologizing? It's not your fault."

The Italian and the spiky-haired boy were in a hospital room; she bed– and Tsuna guilt-ridden. He looked down, both in the literal and figurative sense. "If I hadn't fainted..." he mumbled and fidgeted his fingers nervously.

The sky was bleary outside and his shoes and pants speckled with muddy snow. It was clear he'd come to check in on her as soon as school was over, his bag still slung across his shoulder. She toyed with the thought of patting his head but chose not to in favor of appearing well-groomed and mature.

She raised her bandaged arm, a sharp contrast to the neat hairstyle. "It's just a flesh wound," she joked. With similarly bandaged fingers on her right hand she absentmindedly brushed the plaster over her cut cheek. It could have turned out much worse with the way events unfolded. Despite the difficulties she'd braided her hair on her own again this morning and circled it up to a petal-like bun.

Apparently they were on the same wavelength with that line of thoughts. "It could have been much worse," he said with a lingering and somewhat fearful look at the hurt limb.

"But it isn't," she stood her ground. _Pattern: overly compassionate_. Okay, he might be new to the business, but _she_ was pretty used to wounds by now. Came with the job description. "So please stop apologizing." At least his heart was in the right place.

"But—"

Reborn made an entrance out of nowhere, kicking the boy harshly in the head. "She just said to stop apologizing and you still do it. You really are Dame-Tsuna!" He hovered expertly onto the sheets.

Tsuna winced in pain and his hands flew to the mishandled spot. "Stop hitting me, Reborn! I'm in enough pain as it is!"

The baby's eyes flashed viciously. "Now you're trying to order _me_ around." Another kick, different spot. This time he backflipped to another graceful landing before turning to face her. "I apologize if my incompetent student is wasting your precious time."

She didn't even dare imagine what horrors Tsuna had to face on a daily basis if _that _was his teacher. She managed a polite smile. "Not at all. I enjoy his company." _Now that I am grounded in hospital because of **your **vague orders, thank you._

The baby hitman smiled. "I knew you'd get along." He pointed at her, this time facing Tsuna. "She'll be staying in Japan for a while. Best get used to it." Why did he make it sound as if _she _were the ultimate evil that had summoned this queer situation up all on her own? If she'd ever met a more scheming bastard it was definitely him.

"Uhh, yeah," Tsuna drawled out with an apologetic glance in her direction.

"Great. Now go and pack your stuff," Reborn chirped and clapped his hands demanding.

Tsuna blinked. "Pack my stuff? What for?"

"Since this training session was a failure due to you fainting and Fiona doing all the work, we're going camping." Leon turned into a personal organizer. "Tomorrow."

"Eeeeh? But I have school tomorrow!" Tsuna retorted loudly.

"You're ill."

"That's lying! HIEEE! I didn't say anything!" He backed up with raised hands when Reborn pushed Leon-turned-gun into his face. He escaped to the door in a few strides. "B-Bye, Fiona-san! Get well soon!"

The door fell shut behind him, introducing a long patch of silence to the remaining inhabitants of the room. Fiona turned her head towards the baby hitman. "So. Why the explosive entrance?" she said through a strained, twitching smile.

"I had to see how well you work under stress." He dropped the casual note he used around his student when addressing her but it didn't wipe the smug undertone from the sentence. "There's going to be a lot of work ahead of you."

She would have crossed her arms defiantly if the stiff bandaging didn't restrict most of her movement. Instead she resorted to raising a brow. "The Ninth should've told you who I am. I gather information. I don't exactly fight." The Elvises didn't count. Provocation is a form of information gathering.

Reborn righted his fedora and for a brief moment she couldn't see his eyes. "I know exactly _who _you are," he whispered. She frowned. Was it just her imagination or did she hear some sort of implication in his words? Then his button eyes stared straight ahead into hers again, pushing the thoughts aside in an almost cheery manner. "You held your ground pretty well, though," he said a tad bit too innocently.

_Everybody would when their life depends on it._ "What are you implying this time?" They'd been through that once. She'd not fall for vagueness again so blindly.

"Nothing," he replied instantly. _Yeah sure— _"All I ask for is a piece of your unparalleled loyalty." He kept his gaze steady.

For once she bit back a retort and cast her eyes away.

* * *

Tsuna sighed in relief as he closed the door shut behind him. He was glad Fiona was holding up well. By the time the ambulance had delivered her to the hospital the sun was already setting and she'd lost so much blood, she'd simply passed out the moment her head hit the stretcher.

He chuckled to himself as he walked towards the waiting area. A good night's rest apparently did wonders to anyone. Among the crowd sitting in the bland chairs he spotted a familiar head he'd not expected to see. He approached the boy lost in his thoughts. "What are you doing here, Gokudera-kun?"

Gokudera jumped in start but a beaming smile quickly pushed the alarmed frown away. "Juudaime! I came to wait for you, of course."

Tsuna cocked his head to the side as the silver-haired boy rose to his feet. "I was just visiting Fiona-san."

The smile vanished in place of a frown once more. He turned his head to the side. "Yeah, I know. That's why I made sure to wait."

Tsuna sighed. At least he tried to swallow most of his biting comments regarding the blonde after finding out Reborn himself had called her over. The animosity still lingered, though. "Why do you dislike her so much? Did something happen between the two of you?"

He blinked twice. "I never met her before." _What?! _Then he shrug his shoulders. "But everybody knows the top informants of Vongola: Johnny Numbers, Ranking Fuuta, Knucklebone Eduardo. And of course, Fiona the Fisher." Tsuna's brow twitched as he rattled down the names so casually. _Knucklebone kind of stands out way more than anybody else..._ In his imagination he was a bald bundle of muscle, flexing his fingers for another bone crushing hit—

Best not go further that way.

Gokudera stuffed his hands away into the pockets of his pants. "I also dislike older people." The bomber seemed to have a problem with 80% of the world population then. "I think she's about the same age as my sister but I couldn't be bothered to ask."_  
_

That still didn't answer his question. "So, what makes her such a bad person?" From what he'd seen of her, even those little shady glints of her sunglasses or the obvious ties to the Mafia, she'd seemed, out of all he could label her, _honest. _He couldn't sense any danger radiating off her the same way he regarded Dino as a friend despite his position as head of the Chiavarone family. Dino was a good-natured person first and foremost.

"It's information that makes the world go 'round, not just money," Gokudera answered as they crossed the gap towards the sliding doors, leaving the hospital and entering the cool outside. "And informants gather them. Even if you don't like it, you have to place your trust into their hands every once in a while. If a hitman is not well informed beforehand, his mission might fail. In the worst case he ends up dying. That sorta thing." Tsuna shuddered. Not a pleasant thought.

White smoke rose up into the sky from their breathing. "Some people say Fiona's become vain, sells information to the black market and the Underworld, generally shady business and all that crap." Tsuna frowned. He couldn't imagine her, dodging Hibari all over the city for his sake, actually doing that. It didn't fit. That Eduardo, though... he had to stop thinking about him. Seriously. "She reached a new peak of distrust but the Ninth kept her around all the same."

Gokudera lit a cigarette and grey smoke mingled with the white. "And that's when the Talvonziani incident happened."

"Talvonziani incident?" Tsuna asked in confusion.

"A large-scale mafia collaboration mission which failed in every possible regard. Over eighty good men died that night, two years ago. They didn't stand a chance." His features darkened. "The informant dealing out false information was Fiona the Fisher."

* * *

Hibari Kyoya was fuming.

It wasn't the hospital and its sick and deathly atmosphere that tackled him. The stench of blood was nothing new to him and to the hospital he was a regular visitor, more often out of convenience than actual need. It was the memory playing endlessly in the back of his head that haunted him.

_Don't avert your eyes._

He clenched his teeth together. If there was one thing he hated it was being indebted.

The white-walled maze of corridors was familiar to him and it didn't take him long to find the Director's office. He'd long exchanged his shredded jacket for a new one that placed back the comfortable weight around his shoulders. It swayed behind his every step, showing off the red band that induced respect but had so unfazed her. She was a foreigner, not custom to the workings of Namimori. And it gnawed at him that she still hadn't been taught the proper ways since she'd managed to avoid punishment.

_Don't avert your eyes._

That knowing **_look_**.

He didn't knock before he entered the office and the head of the hospital spun around, lab coat over his clothes. "Hibari-san!" he exclaimed surprised. "You're early."

He chose not to comment on that. Instead he walked up to the massive oak table in the room and leaned against it, crossing his arms over his chest. "Do you have what I asked for?"

"I was just searching for the file," the elder man answered hastily and turned back towards the half-opened filing cabinet he stood at. He sensed his mood. Good. "We're lucky the patient came prepared. Always good for medication purposes." After a minute of rummaging through the masses he eventually pulled out a thin folder and handed it to the prefect.

Hibari regarded the folder with a lazy glance before he grasped it from his fingers. "Leave."

The director blinked, debating whether to act against the power the younger so blatantly misused. A glare silenced his every doubt and he chose to leave his own office in favor of getting hospitalized in the very same place. The door clicked close behind him, leaving Hibari with silence as his sole company.

For a moment he didn't move a single muscle. _Don't avert your eyes._

He _never_ tore his gaze from his opponent. That's why he saw it. That when his tonfas triumphantly tore through her flesh, sunk deep into the tissue until the blood oozed out, it was not panic that flickered through the vivid green eyes finally unveiled.

Those same foreign eyes looked back up at him from a tiny picture in the folder between his hands. Foreign hair, foreign face, foreign name.

_Don't avert your eyes,_ her voice echoed as he was fixated on that calm, knowing look. It was a challenge. How the spikes perfectly aligned with the length of her arm, taking the full hit instead of avoiding him as she'd done before. Only when she took the hit could her fingers fall over his face and darken his vision as fiery smoke and a rain of ice engulfed them; the digits trembling to take the unavoidable splinters aiming for _him_, his eyes, before they both dashed off in different directions.

They'd both lost their footing. It was a tie at the very best, born from the change of rules, the challenge offered. He would have given her no mercy had she lost. The proper punishment still itched in his fingers. She could have easily avoided the ice. Instead, she could have drowned the way she bothered to try and save his—

His eyes slanted to slits as he stared at the room number she was placed in.

He _hated_ being indebted.

* * *

"Foooood," she drawled as she stumbled through the corridors aimlessly. She'd been told where to turn twice already but it was difficult when you couldn't manage to read the signs. The gnawing hunger didn't help with the thinking process either. If there was one good thing the admittance to the hospital got her, though, it was the fact that she'd completely slept off any leftover jet-lag for sure.

Still. That meager tray of nothingness they called lunch did nothing to the gaping hole in her stomach. She let the coins in her purse dance with a swing of her hand.

She spotted the last nurse she'd asked for directions coming her way once more. This time she didn't even have to open her mouth, already was the woman pointing down another hallway to go before getting back on track to follow the dreadful moaning coming from a room nearby. Fiona didn't even dare peek through the door. Some things were best left unseen no matter how curious a cat you were.

Blindly walking past a large sign with loads of hieroglyphs and a number of arrows, she soon found her goal. The sounds coming from the end of the hall grew louder, mixed with the clattering of cutlery and a fabulously thick waft of warmth and freshly baked bread.

Five minutes later she was busy stuffing herself with said bread.

Her tray towered with random food that had caught her attention, a mix of soup, fish, rice, vegetables and cake. The now gaping hole in her wallet was totally worth it. Some of the nearby seated visitors and patients eyed her messy style of eating but they probably just shrug it off as something foreigners did. She paused to check on her bun. As long as the hairstyle's sorted, so was she. Appearances carried you a long way no matter the manners.

Her eyes fell on the bandaged fingers on her right. She tentatively flexed them, feeling the slightest dim sting of pain around her knuckles as she did so. The ice had given out on them. It was probably her luck, even if she had to take a direct hit in turn. Otherwise he might be chasing her around to this day. _Promise, _she'd said yet planned to run and abort when it fit her. But he'd trusted her words. Stayed true to them. To the challenge.

Her gaze softened. To the plan.

She shook the thought crawling up on her off with a shake of her head. Focus. Instead a tiny chuckle escaped her lips as she reached for fork and knife again. Her right hand would heal while his eyes would have nevermore if she'd left as her instincts screamed at her to do. She _chose_ to reach out, to shield him. Thinking about it, she actually felt elated. Maybe a little thankful. A teensy bit indebted. The Underworld had ways of changing you but this act showed she was still her good ol' Mafia self. He'd never know why but maybe that was for the best.

The smile lingered on her lips all the while she stayed in the cafeteria.

By the time she decided that she was full, the previous nurse had also finished her job. She quickly threw the bloody rubber gloves into a wastebin the moment she spotted Fiona leaving the cafeteria with a hum and led the Italian back to her room with learned expertise. The humming got stuck in her throat. Sometimes efficiency was scary.

She thanked the nurse politely but the woman brushed it off with a wave, already hovering over to the next issue at hand. She cocked her head to the side. That's Batman right there; never thanked, always the helper in need. Snickering to herself she turned around to turn the knob on the door...

...only to wish she'd never looked.

The blotch of darkness towering over her wore a _very_ familiar black leather jacket. He also owned an overly-gelled hairstyle she recognized. _And_ a perfectly swollen purple plum where his eye socket should be.

This time he also had more friends with him.

"What a coincidence," she said with a twitching eye and clutched the door knob tighter. Her right hand muttered in protest. She wanted the superhero-nurse back.

If it was possible his pulsating black aura was further thickening with subdued anger. He was literally a big warning sign that screamed: _DANGER!_

Fiona raised her hands awkwardly. "Look, this is all a big misunderstanding." Seriously, why was there no staff anywhere in sight when you needed it? Had he always been this tall? She should've really done her research. She couldn't even count the number of allied hairstyles loitering _behind_ him.

He bent down to her face. The door was right at her back and the cool wood sent shivers down her body. The thin white gown didn't help making her feel safe at all. "Misunderstanding, huh?" he echoed. Maybe she could angle her arm, open the door, run like hell, slam it back in his face. Sounded like a plan, alright. "Seems like you misunderstood me when I said I wasn't your freaking callcenter."

She blinked. Wait a moment. Don't turn all Reborn on me! "Hey, _I'm_ the one who beat _you_ up. Don't make it sound like I should regret it." She cocked her head to the side with a provoking smile. You don't break The Fisher. She's got a speargun. "You did answer my question afterward, too. Quite menially so."

If the tension was thick before you could cut through it like a knife through butter now.

She took a step back when he cracked his knuckles. Thinking straight and in foresight: Yeah, it was definitely time for a premature discharge from the hospital. Taking another, she realized something very important when the plum-guy didn't follow after. Where did the door disappear to...?

"Hey," greeted a smooth voice. She mechanically turned her head around.

Slanted, steel-grey eyes.

* * *

If there was any sound disrupting the silence in the room it would have to be the cogs in her head working. The windows were closed, the door shut tight and the boy looking out over the city unmoving.

Fiona watched him closely. Observing came to her like breathing. Instincts that picked up on the habits of an opponent mid-battle, mind that watched eyes shift and muscles twitch as somebody talked, looking for the patterns unable to hide within the unmistakable lines of the body. It was that perception that had granted her rank and status within the Vongola.

He didn't drip with bloodthirsty intent, a fact she thanked all heavens for. Yet even now he stood with the composure of a predator, merely sated enough to leave his prey be for the moment. She could sit quiet and unmoving. She'd been in a great many situations where it was an absolute necessity to do so if you valued your life. That didn't mean she had to like the implications their current distribution of role entailed because she really liked using her speargun. Even the blind could conclude a couple of things from the past minute alone:

a) Elvis Enterprise owned _many_ employees.

b) Each and every one of them followed their boss' orders so loyally, the slightest look from him had been enough to have them back off the door. And leave poor Fiona with the boss alone in the room.

What new patterns did she learn? Their loyalty stemmed from respect. But also a hint of fear. Because only the strongest could be the leader.

Marvelous.

Which brought her thoughts back to close the circle again: since he'd calmed down to the level he was at now, it was a good time as any to test the new waters Reborn had guided her to. After all she'd stay in Japan for a while.

She disrupted the silence by letting herself fall onto the bed that it creaked and the sheets shifted wildly. "So, whaddya want?" she asked and rested her elbow on her crossed knees. The bandaged right propped her head up.

The only object stirring was the jacket draped over his shoulders as he turned around. His face was void of any palpable emotion. What an interesting boy. He took his time to take in her appearance, the uncaring calmness she radiated. His eyes strayed particularly long over the hurt arms and hands. She gave it a try, reading his gaze. Guilt perhaps? No, not one bit. Jerk.

"You're not from Namimori." His voice startled her, that sudden he spoke up.

Her lips curved upward. They were alone in the room. No odd numbers. No army behind his back. "Wonder what gave it away," she mused, feeling cheeky.

A metallic glint was the only warning she saw before a tonfa slid right under her jaw. The smirk still stayed in place. Yes, he was more composed than others his age but even he had something that irked him. Rebels, for one, are a no-go. Which included cheekiness and a generally defiant attitude. Oh how she loved toying with him already.

Fiona squinted down. "I think we were introduced already." She pointed at the plaster on her cheek. He pressed a little further, the metal cool and hard against her skin. There it was, that unbridled fighting spirit flaring to life in the cool gaze. How many died in the hospital from unnatural causes again? Like getting murdered. Because he sure looked like a potential cause.

"I really want to bite you to death," he said with a dangerous smirk. The grey of his eyes danced vividly now. Pale blue streaks in between, cold and icy drilling into her.

There are times where she's The Fisher. Others, she's just Fiona. Both born with an uncanny ability to crawl under people's skins. The difference being the level of professionalism applied. Reborn wasn't quite right in his statement. She didn't work well under stress—she worked _best_.

Testing those waters, boy.

"Then why don't you?"

Just like that she found herself crashing into the sterile tiles to avoid the blow. The black of his shoe sailed down on her the moment she rolled to the side. Without a second thought she rushed to the door, praying that the surprise effect was on her side.

The previous plan springing up in the back of her mind, she opened the door—surprised gasps, doe-eyed Elvises, white gown flowing—and rammed it straight into his face.

The wood splintered into thousand pieces under the fast, merciless strikes of spiked tonfas. Fiona gulped.

_Thin ice. **Really** thin ice, this Hibari Kyoya._

* * *

**Meanwhile**

* * *

"Hm," made the baby hitman as he looked out of the single window in Tsuna's room.

The boy noticed and stopped rummaging through the chaos in his room he'd self-created in an attempt of packing. "What is it, Reborn?"

He turned around, hand on his chin and an ever-present smile on his face. "I saw Hibari enter the hospital. Wonder if I should've told her that." A shady glint sparked off his button eyes.

* * *

****Oh my. It's not Hibari who's the devil incarnate, Fiona. Clearly not.****

**As if the tagged character section isn't foretelling enough: Yes, I'm aiming for a Hibari romance. No, the 'spark' won't happen anytime soon. Like, way far ahead in the distant future of this story. Top priority is creating a solid character, fitting to the world and canon story of KHR without making her the center of attention. You'll see her—and Hibari for that matter—around a great deal (simply retelling KHR is boring), but don't think I'll just forget about the others. It's just too much fun to pass up the chance to hop into Tsuna's head every once in a while.  
**

**Till next time!  
**


	4. The Transfer Student

**I don't own ********_Katekyō Hitman Reborn!_****.**

* * *

** Target IV: The Transfer Student**

* * *

With a heavy sigh and hunched shoulders Tsuna slouched his way through Namimori's streets. Yet another week of complete madness had passed and he dreaded going to school. He could not see the new week go by in peace and harmony any longer. There's just too much Reborn involved in every aspect of his life nowadays for that to be a viable possibility.

"Let's go camping, he says," he muttered to himself, "and then it's Death Mountain..." If there were any leftover freezing, bleary, dark clouds out in the warming spring sky—they were nothing compared to the blackness surrounding and threatening to flatten him right now.

"Yo, Tsuna!"

"HIIIEEE!" he jumped and nearly bumped his head into the nearest wall before his mind registered that it wasn't another death trap set for him. "Yamamoto!" he called out in relief.

The tall boy laughed light-heartedly. "You seem out of it today. Not enough sleep?" Tsuna glanced to the side with a weary expression. _You could say that...  
_

There's only so much violence you can take in a week, after all.

First the whole chaos with Fiona-san. While Reborn said she'd stay a while he'd not seen her again since the day before their 'camping trip'_. _And he'd spent a _great_ amount of time in the hospital after Death Mountain took its toll on his body. To his utter dismay—and he wasn't ashamed to admit he'd actually prayed for the strange foreigner woman to still be around somewhere in the hospital—he'd even ended up spending a portion of his stay with none other than _Hibari Kyoya._

_"My cold took a turn for the worse." _

Which Tsuna literally read as: "I'm still mad at the whole thing with the lake but you're the only one to take it out on. Let's play a game."

So yes, it still haunted his dreams and sleep didn't come by easy.

Yamamoto patted him on the back in a cheery fashion, sensing his rapidly dropping mood. "Hey, it's the start of a new week. Something good is bound to happen after the bad, right?"

Tsuna looked up at him then, dark clouds lifting slightly. _Yamamoto... _he always managed to be so optimistic no matter what!

Just as they rounded the corner by the river, Gokudera jogged over to the walking pair, waving. "Good morning, Juudaime! And the baseball freak's here, too, I guess..." he grumbled. Then he beamed again. "It's like we haven't seen each other in ages! I hope you're well again!"

That comment alone sent Tsuna's lips twitching in a less-than-bemused smile. The few hours he'd spent with _him_ in the same room were just as horrific as the short time spent with Hibari.

And then there's that room of inexplicable origin they'd placed him in...

Depressive, gloomy cloud back in action in all its threatening black glory. He _never _wanted to be reminded of the remaining days in that room _ever_ again.

Walking the rest of their way to school, both Yamamoto and Gokudera tried to cheer him up in turns. Which often resulted in random, almost-getting-out-of-hand street battles, mainly due to Gokudera's right-hand man antics. Tsuna sighed again as the school came in sight, placing three fingers to the side of his head. Just another headache in the morning already. He was actually getting used to them, much to his own surprise.

The usual buzz of voices accompanied them the closer they got to school. But it was on the school courtyard the next surprise waited in store for him.

Tsuna froze on the spot.

There she was, a little too tall, a little too well-developed to fit the Namimori Middle School Uniform in proper disguise; large pair of sunglasses resting on her nose like a trademark, long caramel hair pulled up in a loose bun, looking as if she'd just escaped a photo shoot in Miami.

Of course she spotted them and walked over, bemused smiled plastered onto her face. Tsuna had a bad hunch. A really horrible one actually. _"She'll be staying in Japan for a while. Best get used to it." _Not like this. Not even more...!

"F-F-Fiona-san?! What are you doing here?" he stammered. Please, please, please don't let Reborn win one over him again—

The shades glinted deviously as she stemmed her hands to both sides of her hips. "I'm the new transfer student, of course."

* * *

The group in the middle of the courtyard was nothing unusual from the norm. There was just this one female addition to the trio of first-years. The one out-of-place foreigner casually strapping her sunglasses to the hem of her uniform as if she'd always done it that way in the mornings, right before classes, while they received ever so curious glances all the while. Tsuna didn't mind. At least that's what he tried to convince his brain. He really didn't mind as long as she kept _normal_ and _polite_ and _somewhat undercover_—

He hung his head low as the bubble popped. He forgot. They were talking about the _Mafia. _About Reborn. _Of course_ the situation escalated while he was busy trying catch and prevent his soul from escaping his body from shock and utter pain.

"I refuse," Gokudera declared unnerved and crossed his arms over his chest. There we go again.

Fiona shot him a lazy, green-eyed glance. Tsuna dreaded the next words already. Why in the morning? Hadn't he suffered enough already? Where's the good coming after the bad? "Good thing you're not important enough to decide." A grin stretched her lips into the most devious curve. "Smokey~" she added with a provocative purr.

He dreaded with good reason.

It was all thanks to Yamamoto's quick reflexes the school's courtyard didn't get turned to cheese. The fuming silver-head flailed like a madman in the taller boy's iron grip on him, dynamite sticks gripped so tightly between his fingers that his knuckles turned white. The thin line of patience he'd shown in the hospital before was broken instantly upon seeing each other in person and he couldn't help but wonder how much further their relationship could fall. They simply refused to co-exist together.

"Calm down. The more the merrier, right?" Yamamoto offered with a brilliant smile.

"You baseball maniac still think it's a game—!" Gokudera caught himself only long enough to continue glaring at Fiona, not even bothering trying to talk some common sense into the black-haired boy. "I'm not letting you anywhere near him, woman. I told you already: get away from him." By now the students' curious glances turned to very curious chatter. Tsuna drew his hands across his face. _Why me? Why **my** reputation? Oh god, my soul! It's escaping again!  
_

Fiona placed a hand around her chin in mock-thought. "But my boss is your boss' boss. I'm part of this by rule of superiority." Tsuna stopped in his hunt for his soul. She did this on purpose. It was only a gut feeling but he knew she wanted to rile Gokudera up. Badly.

"Fiona-san, please," he pleaded and he thought to see simpathy in her expression. She had to stop whatever and wherever she intended to go with this. But she only placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry, Tsuna." She pointed a finger at Gokudera. "I stand above him in rank. As in: completely outside of every rank. I could even _order _him around, you know?" Her voice turned dangerously sweet. "What a great idea actually!" No, not great at all! Fiona stared the bomber down in the best manner she could muster up. "Boy! My presence is to be acknowledged. I will walk the ground as I please and no _mere man_ will cage me." Her eyes glinted mischievously. "Especially not a kid like you_._"

She hit home.

When and how he lit the cigarette while confined, Tsuna would perhaps never know. "I only take orders directly from Juudaime! Fuck you—I don't care if Reborn called you over or not. What did you ever do to make me trust you, huh?" Oh god. This was not good. This was actually really, really dangerous. All the pent-up animosity, all the riling up—they were going to fight it out right here and then, once and for all, weren't they?!

No, he had to stop this. For his own life's sake. "Gokudera-kun, you, too...!"

Yamamoto nudged him with his shoulder. "I heard Italians are very spirited people. It's just their way of saying hello, don't worry." Tsuna's face derailed. How can you be so gullible even in this sort of tense situation?!

Fiona smiled too innocently, too close to victory. She pointed behind them. "I wonder about your right-hand man qualities when somebody can freely point a gun at your boss."

The boys spun around. Tsuna shrieked as his nose hit a too familiar green pistol's muzzle and he stumbled backwards into the dirty ground. In front of none other than... "Reborn?!"

"Ciaossu," the baby greeted. Then he casually used the grounded Tsuna as leverage to hop onto Fiona's shoulder. "As Tsuna's homeroom teacer I only choose what's best for him. Of course." The emphasis did nothing to calm his mind. Rather did it soar through the roof because the muzzle _still pointed at him while he said that! That's not the** best** situation to be in! Of course!  
_

Gokudera broke free from his confinement but his scowl never left his face. "Give me one good reason why I should trust someone like her, Reborn-san. You said you called her over. Why?"

The baby hitman smiled. "It's a question of loyalty."

He scoffed. "Yeah, loyalty. She's practically exiled and the most cunning bi—"

"Four attempted kidnappings," Fiona interrupted him harshly. Tsuna's head inadvertedly turned away from the pistol threatening his life at the tone of her voice. He couldn't help but stare at the determined face she showed; voice firm and serious unlike before and face at level with his. "One attempted murder but you needn't any help by then." Her eyes gleamed calculating and sharp, as if she'd only waited for his insult. _Is this really Fiona-san...?_

The bomber's mouth snapped shut and something akin to recognition flashed through his turquoise eyes. She simply continued, slowly crossing the distance between them with each new sentence. "Shamal took a liking to you, you know? This passionate behavior of yours." A finger flexed forward and lingered right over Gokudera's heart. Green eyes looked past it, lost in thoughts. "But to protect another, you have to control that passion. You still get carried away too easily. It helps when dealing with murderers on your heels but not with supporting a _famiglia_." She withdrew her finger and the hard cockiness returned to her voice.

"That information was free of charge. Take it as my offering of trust—I was paid to send this information to Davy Jones' Locker. It's not something I deal with freely."

They were almost the same height, Gokudera taller by barely more than an inch. Toe to toe, nose to nose, the Italians exchanged heated stares and Tsuna could only wonder how things would turn out this time. The tension had risen and thickened so quickly, he could reach out and grab it. _False informant. Telvonziani incident. Davy Jones' Locker?! _What exactly just happened?

The silence went on for another awkward minute. The courtyard had practically emptied by now. It was so surreal, all this happening right before something as ordinary as school.

Eventually Gokudera stepped back and turned his head to the side defiantly. "How generous," he ground out through gritted teeth, finally breaking the ice.

"Always." Her smile was similarly stale as the one time in the café, bitter and void of warmth but still Tsuna sighed in relief when he saw her shoulders relax ever so slightly. The storm passed by.

Right?

Reborn played with Leon across his arm, seemingly unperturbed by the events unfolding. "Everybody done exchanging greetings now? I know it's been a while." Tsuna felt like banging his head against something. _This is **not** an Italian greeting! Don't go giving Yamamoto ideas again!_

At least the tension deflated to some degree. Gokudera clearly looked like he wanted to voice his opinion in a very fierce manner. Fiona stood her ground proudly. Reborn sighed as if he were the mother hen dealing with stubborn children, which was a ridiculous thought itself, him being a baby and all.

He pointed the gun back in Tsuna's face. "Watch out! Tsuna is about to faint again."

"HIEEE!"_ That's going to kill me, not make me faint! And stop rubbing salt into my wound! _"No, I'm fi—"

The silver-head spun around in renewed worry and forgotten brooding. "Juudaime! I'll make sure to catch you this time!"

Yamamoto placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Do you want to go to the infirmary, Tsuna?"

Fiona watched the school's entrance with the sharp eyes of a hawk searching for prey. "I'm up for distraction again. Nobody will find you."

Tsuna blinked perplexed as dislikes and animosity instantly dissipated for collected concern and each assumed a role in perfect sync. How? How was it possible for them to gather around him so easily; the boys close to his face and the female guarding their backs as if they were her most trusted friends?

Reborn smirked as he hopped off Fiona's shoulder almost unnoticed, only followed by his student's eyes who suddenly realized once more that nothing the baby ever did was unplanned, nothing without a result of some sorts. Even if it's just a shaky, neutral ground upheld by one impossible string alone.

_To protect another. Supporting a famiglia.  
_

Him.

That weird teacher, he thought with a smile as the bell rung for classes. All of their heads snapped around; the disguised middle schooler, the rebellious bomber, the happy baseball player and the small boy they all somehow held in deep regard. For a moment they stopped thinking about the Mafia and its dangers and feuds. Under laughter, hurry and curses they dashed into the building, wishing not to be caught late like any other student.

The briefest moment of peace. Upheld by one string alone.

* * *

She was really hopeless.

"Food..." she muttered under her breath as she walked the empty corridors. There she was, already missing out on classes because sleep deprivation, a half-empty fridge and a body refusing to stop punishing her with embarassing and painful grumbling clearly forced her to take on counter-measures.

At least that's what she told herself. Because saying you're overly eager to avoid Japanese class didn't sound cool at all.

Fiona sighed at herself. There was enough information taking up space inside her brain already. She needn't more. Her stomach grumbled beneath her laced fingers, whether in approval or accusation of her thoughts, she wasn't certain. She really needed to make an end to her unhealthy style of living. Although barely just an adult, she was still supposed to play the role model to the younger ones. For all her trying maturity didn't cooperate with her as easily as she'd imagined. She reached for her bun. At least the appearances fit, that much she made sure of.

It was like saying for Gokudera to stop fussing over Tsuna. Mentally she checked off the silver-head as 'more waters tested', with similarly thin ice to the Elvis Leader detected. At least he could be restrained, which could not be said from the other devil. Whether that was admirable or not was left open for debate. Gokudera also best never tell Shamal she'd bent her own security markings in order to make him accept her. Not that the man would mind now when the boy could take care of himself, but it was bad for business.

Her lone footsteps echoed off the walls as she inspected the digits on her right hand curiously. She ended up with a scar from their meet-up. It was really tiny, just long enough to cross the distance between the knuckles of her middle and ring finger. Yet it was of a fresh white that stood out on the remainder of her tan. And she'd never even gotten a thanks for her brave actions. Prideful jerk. That's an attitude clearly not debatable. It's simply rude.

She stopped mid-step. Her nose twitched.

Was that pizza she smelled?

An almost inaudible burr directed her head to the left and—lo and behold—the firehose box's door slid neatly to the side revealing a graceously furnitured miniature living room. Along with Reborn munching on a piece of pizza.

"Ciaossu," he greeted through bites. Her stomach roared at the deafening smells and the delicious sight of the melting cheese and glistening salami slices... He noticed. "I ordered pizza. Want some?" Before she even knew what was happening she'd already nodded.

The baby gobbled the remaining slice in one bite. "Order one yourself."

Fiona's fingers twitched to encompass his slim throat. But she calmed herself with a shaky breath. Vongola Style. It's just the usual. No need to get upset over. Maturity. Focus on being a mature role model! "You want to tell me something?" _Or are you just here to mock me?_

Reborn licked his fingers clean. "You should be in class. That's not a good first impression."

She reflexively tucked a loose strand behind her ear. "My first impressions were spot-on." The class had cheered when she waltzed in and introduced herself as an transfer student. Throw a foreigner at the Japanese and they're all over you. "I simply used the excuse of jet lag to slip out."

"You skipped Japanese class."

_That scheming little...! How did he know?! _"You're well informed," she managed with a strained smile.

He gave her a smug smirk. Seriously, she'd never be able to look normally at any baby ever again. "It's not just informants that need to be up-to-date with their surroundings." Her smile dropped as she heard the underlying meaning. As if the incident—which was to be expected, really—in the morning wasn't enough already. She could and _had_ put up with a lot but a part of the fuse already sizzled with smoke, thanks to Gokudera's actions.

"I still have it down pat," she answered after a long pause.

"I'd not expect anything else. I _am_ only choosing the best for Tsuna." He drew up an arm on the lean of his miniature chair. "You handled Gokudera well. Your reflexes are top-notch, too."

For a moment she frowned, not quite gathering where he'd come from. Then she noticed that innocent, _innocent! _smile.

Screw calm and composure. "I'm not a fighter, Reborn..." she growled. Loyalty. Think of your loyalty, even if you want to strangle him for the ass cold chase from the hospital to the outskirts of town, the wind tearing at the thin hospital gown and toes turning blue. Blue! At least that devil hadn't gotten around to actually drowning her in the recently unfrozen lake!

"I know," came the instant reply. "But you'll need wit both mentally and physically if you're working under me." He then shoved a paper into her face.

To say she was wary was an understatement. To say she was still on the verge of throttling him was another understatement. To say she wasn't instantly hooked was the biggest one. Fiona gulped as she tore the paper away and scanned its contents.

She loved to _know_. That's why she decided to put down the rising fire in her chest just a little bit. Diamonds are a girl's best friend and her diamonds were secret knowledge. Although she did like the shiny objects as well. But she had to restrain herself. She was not going anywhere without proper background research. He could shove random papers in her face all day then. "What's this?"

"Take it to the principal." She was just about to open her mouth in question but he waltzed right over her attempts. "I took the liberty to fill out the form for you since your Japanese sucks." Innocent, victorious, freaking, baby smile...! _Put. The. Fire. Down! _This was a battle hard-fought. Calm and collected. Mature. Put the fire down. Focus.

She waggled the paper around. "But what does it—" The doors slid close on her rudely. "...say?" Really now. Seriously? No appreciation for her after all she'd been through?

"Stupid Arcobaleno," Fiona muttered as she stood up, inspecting the paper in vain. She should seriously research the thing before giving it to anybody at all, especially with him being as vague as on the phone prior to her arrival. She might end up in hospital again. Right. Keep it calm and collected. Calm and—

The doors slid open again. Reborn's head popped out. "Oh, I forgot to tell you: you have to give it to him _right_ after school. I want it done and over with today so everything's ready starting tomorrow." He made a scissor cutting motion with his fingers and she paled. "Or else." The doors crashed back shut.

Fiona clutched her bun with trembling fingers. He wouldn't _dare_. Red flared up before her vision, trembling traveling down the length of her body. Forget about maturity.

_Fire in the hole._

* * *

**After school**

* * *

The teachers startled from their seats when the female student slammed the paper on the principal's desk without so much as knocking on his door, nor bothering to close it after her. The elder man looked up reproving. She should not be charging in here like this! His determination quickly faded, though, when he was met with barely bridled _fury_ radiating off the newest Italian student.

He set his eyes on the paper instead, picking it up carefully as he read it over. His mouth parted in surprise. "Are you sure about this? This is not a position we can just entrust—"

Green eyes leaned forward and drilled into his very being like no middle schooler should be capable of. "Trust is my speciality."

The principal gulped as he squirmed in his seat. "O-Of course!"

And the deal was sealed.

* * *

**Now, who'd expected that?! She's transferring over—how dare she! She's a (mature) adult! And what the hell did Reborn force her to do this time around...?  
**

**Now the plot's fully rolling. Do tell me your opinions (the good and the bad!) about what you think so far. I enjoy reading anything you guys have to say a lot! :)  
**


	5. Ceasefire

**I don't own ********_Katekyō Hitman Reborn!_****. Leave a comment, make me happy. ;)  
**

* * *

** Target V: Ceasefire**

* * *

Fiona groaned as she picked herself up. Her shoulders ached from the awkward position she'd fallen asleep in. Dust danced in the tiny rays of light peeking between the slits of her shutters.

Stretching some of the stiffness out of her system, she gingerly placed her feet down on firm ground and got up on her toes. Papers lay strewn across every inch of her bedroom; the sheets, the end table, the ground and one even stuck between the shutter. For a moment she stood unmoving, casting a glance here and there over the chaos before she zigzagged her way out of it. Priorities had to be set. It was morning already.

And morning meant _school._

To have a routine again was almost unfamiliar. Her legs carried her to the bathroom and her hands reached out to the sink to wash her face. When was the last time she owned a routine? Maybe a little over two years ago. The water dripped off her face and the sound of it running was the only noise interrupting the silence of her apartment. Two years ago...

_She whistles as they enter through the double doors into a world of grandeur._

__He's not nearly as impressed. _Watchful eyes wander about the surroundings, brushing the bustle of people only briefly.__ "I spot twelve immediate flaws that any—what? We're here for business." He stops to glance down at her.  
_

___Fiona nudges his ribs with her elbow, grinning. _"You're just pissed because we woke you up. Get used to the new routine."__

_The brown of his eyes twitches in nuisance. "I refuse."_

Her reflection looked back at her, searching for answers she was uncertain to ever find; pushing the knocking memories away into the far back of her mind where they belonged to. Green eyes followed the path of the transluscent drops racing past her lips, the side of her brow, few caught in the strands of her—

She instantly reached for the brush, dispersing her thoughts. This won't do.

Just as she was busy catching the braided ends of her hair with a hair tie—neat head before neat home, always—, she heard a knock on the door and cursed all heavens. Fully expecting a smug-faced Reborn, she stomped over with a barking retort waiting at the tip of her tongue. How dare he threaten to cut off her lovely hair!

When she didn't have to look all the way down to meet a tiny baby, you could say she was more than surprised. With blinking eyes she tilted her head only _a little_ lower for the early guest at the door.

The elderly woman looked back up at her with aged, dark eyes. She was a few inches smaller than she, typical for Japanese women, and wore a dark purple wrap over her clothing. A tiny old hand pointed at the bell next to her door. "Your bell doesn't seem to work, so I had to knock."

Fiona blinked another few times before straightening her back. "Yes. I—there's some things not working yet. I just moved in here." The answer came spluttering out of her before her brain even caught up to form proper sentences. Civilian. It's just a civilian. Nothing to do with the Mafia. Talking with any sane person was a rare deed over the past years as well. She still had to connect one of the Vongola alarm systems to the mains before she'd do the same to the bell_. Wait, civilians needn't know that. _Focus.

"I know," the woman answered friendly. For a moment Fiona wondered whether the little Japanese could read her mind. Then it clicked even in her befuddled state that she meant something else entirely. She'd have to do some heavy catching up to uphold her claim to be one of the best in front of Reborn. Not that he'd ever hear her say that aloud.

A warm smile graced her features, further creasing her already wrinkled face but Fiona came to like it quickly. The woman looked to have laughed a lot in her life. She bowed her head as she continued. "I came over to introduce myself. I'm your neighbor, Inamura Kumiko." Creased eyes looked back up. Her hair was pearl-white and in a perfect bun. Skillful. "You came in so late at night, I didn't want to disturb you earlier."

Fiona groaned inwardly. _Yeah... difficult to find my home in these mazes. Signs are useless here.  
_

Transfixed on the prettily done white hair, Fiona reflexively stretched her arm out in greeting before she remembered the manners in Japan. Halfway during the motion she awkwardly mimicked the woman's actions. Things were going _real_ smooth already. God, she was awful when _not_ stressed. Talk about Dino being useless most of the time.

"I'm Fiona. But I guess you know that already." She pointed at the name tag right beneath the bell. She could get the hang of it back in an instant. Just you watch. Some odd minute or two and she was up and running like always. "Did you have breakfast by chance? Maybe I can serve you some as thanks for the friendly welcome." There you go. Waking the Italian charme once more, spot-on with a toothy smile and hopefully not too shabby breath.

Kumiko regarded her wrinkled clothes from head to toe. "You're a late riser! I ate a couple hours ago but I'd gladly take you up on lunch." She blinked innocently. "Only if you don't have to go somewhere? School or work, perhaps?"

The charming smile froze in place. Instead her lips twitched in alarm. Her priorities...! She'd completely forgotten! "What time is it?"

"Just past 10."

_Fuck._

* * *

Tsuna sighed. He wasn't at all surprised any longer. It was just another normal school day. Just another headache incoming for sure...

"What is she doing here?" Gokudera demanded grumpy. Just another headache...

He straightened his back. "W-Well, Fiona-san wanted to eat lunch with us. That's not a bad thing, right?" The small boy answered with a shaky laugh, rubbing the back of his spiky, brown mane. That was about right. But maybe... no, he shouldn't add the fact that she'd climbed the school's facade to get up to them on the roof.

_("Mornin'!" a female voice said out of the blue._

_"HIEEEE!" Tsuna screeched as her breath brushed the back of his neck and sent goosebumps all over his body. He spun around only to be face to face with large sunglasses. From this close it looked so much like an insect, he startled out of the way that he tripped over his crossed legs and greeted the floor with his face. Ouch..._

_Fiona scaled the railing with ease and landed next to him gracefully. He'd only come up alone because Yamamoto and Gokudera were busy getting reprimanded by their teacher for the moment. One for stirring up trouble again and the other for slacking off too much. He'd thought he could enjoy the calming sight of clouds for a couple of minutes before they started bickering again.  
_

_He rubbed his throbbing face as he looked up at the disguised Mafioso. "What are you doing here?" **Wait a moment. **"How did you even get up?!" The door was on the other side!  
_

_She pointed over the railing. "I was in a hurry.")_

He really shouldn't.

Tsuna sighed again. Why was he not surprised about the illogical argument? Apparently people simply get used to the madness. Embrace it. Yeah, maybe he should do that...

The bomber harrumphed. "I may have allowed her to stay close but that doesn't mean she has to try get all intimate with Juudaime!" His hands shot around his shoulders. "How long was she here alone with you?!" His grip on Tsuna tightened in his anger. Help!

Fiona looked up, shades reflecting the cloudy sky. "Am not." She raised her sandwich. "Just eating. And making fun of you." Gokudera let go and instead clenched his fist until his knuckles turned white (he was really thankful he wasn't in _that _deathgrip). But Tsuna had to give it to him—he really tried his best not to throw himself at her throat _instantly_ after yesterday's... meet-up.

Yamamoto laughed. Sitting closest to her, he placed a hand down on her shoulder in a friendly manner. "Maa, maa. Fiona-chan's also a part of our game now."

Gokudera pointed an accusing finger in her cross-legged direction. "She's the same age as my sister! She _shouldn't_ even be here!"

"Am not," she repeated again as she fumbled something out from her backpack. Her demeanor had loosened from their first meeting, not quite as mature as before but it might just be the Middle School Uniform that masked it away. Tsuna really hoped so. It was real dangerous enough to have the two Italians within arm's length at the same time and if she didn't keep the calm within the group, then who would?

Then again: she just climbed the school building. That alone spoke volumes to her sanity.

Still, Tsuna curiously inched closer as her fingers unclasped the purse and she held up a student ID in their faces. "Eh? You're fifteen, Fiona-san?" he asked perplexed but also slightly relieved. It's definitely a surprise as he'd always guessed her a little older despite her occasional odd behavior—

She blinked before taking a look at the card herself. "Oh, wrong one." She stuffed it away. "That's Alessio's forgery."

_—IT'S A SCAM!_

While he silently wept, body suddenly weak and wobbly just thinking about the many possibe ways this woman could complicate his middle school life, Fiona flicked up a different card. A driver's license. "I'm nineteen," she answered finally before taking another bite from her sandwich as if everything had been settled.

"Che. Close enough," Gokudera finished with crossed arms.

"Shouldn't you be in high school then?" Yamamoto asked curiously.

"Mine Japanese bad," she instantly answered, which made him laugh in turn. He wouldn't believe that sort of lame excuse now, would he? Not even Yamamoto is that gullible—

"Right! You're not even part Japanese like Gokudera over here." Tsuna's jaw dropped. _H-He fell for it! I can't believe it!_

There was that tiny, itching feeling in his gut that told him he'd managed to find another weirdo for the mismatched gang. For real. It was the same sort of feeling he'd had in the café as Reborn slowly trickled out information about her messing with the Disciplinary Committee. Which made his gut churn only testier. Even if she disguised as a (poor excuse of a) middle schooler, she was still the adult Fiona with the friendly smile. She wouldn't do something stupid as to cross paths with Hibari-san again while in disguise, would she?

Actually. Better make sure of it.

"You're a second-year, right, Fiona-san?" he asked cautiously as he placed his water bottle to his lips. All of a sudden he felt dehydrated, as if he'd run a marathon, that much his brain protested to keep up. Maybe he wouldn't even recognize her...

"Yeah. Disguising as a first-year would be a bit of a stretch, I have to admit." Her hand casually flicked away some strands of hair and the smile she threw him was brilliant.

Scratch that. She stood out too much not to be instantly recognized, no matter which year she was in. They'd meet for sure. Best stay out of it and let her handle it on her own—she'd shown her capabilities already and survived to tell the tale.

"Besides, I'm also the new head of Student Council. You can't be head as a first-year, so..." she added with a shrug.

Time stood still. Tic, toc, tic, toc, _tic, **toc...!**_

Time unwound.

Tsuna spit his water out in a glittering spray arc. "What? How?! It's only your second day at school!"

"That's amazing, Fiona-chan!" Yamamoto laughed._ No, no, no, it's not! It's horrible!  
_

She flashed the black-haired boy a grin. "I like you more than Smokey already. And he had initial compatriot bonus."

"You have to work harder, Gokudera," he grinned in turn to said boy.

"Like I want somebody like that as my friend!"

The shades glinted mischievously. "Life's much longer when you got an informant on your good side." Why were they bickering already?! And she was off to provoking him again, wasn't she?!

"Stop!" he called out just as Gokudera parted his lips in another retort. His mouth instantly snapped shut. They could bicker later all they want. "When did you join?" he asked once more. This smelled fishy. Seriously fishy. Reborn-fishy.

"Filled out the form on my first day, turned it in to the principal after school," she counted down her fingers. "Apparently there was a continuos lack of one and he welcomed me with _open_ _arms_." The sardonic smile on her lips told him_ that_ little fact wasn't quite true. "Or something along those lines anyway." Premeditated harm. Right.

Which is the problem! "Why would you want to join?! You'll have to deal with Hibari-san! You've seen how dangerous he is." His main reason for panic was a different one altogether: if she was on the Student Council—head even!—did she know what _they _had to deal with when a Mafioso is practically ruling the school? He dreaded thinking about it already.

For a moment her smile turned steel-hard, radiating a violent aura of _never remind me of the actual reasons again _as her hand slipped protectively over the braided hair. Tsuna squirmed in his own hide. Something horrible must've happened.

Then she shrug her shoulders casually as she looked up into the sky. "I told you I deal with information." She took another bite from her sandwich, circling a heavy set of keys in her free hand she'd drawn out from some pocket. _That's not the school's keys, right? Please tell me it's not the school keys...! _

"The feeling of power is intoxicating." The shades glinted dangerously.

Tsuna gulped. This could only mean trouble, right?

* * *

Yup.

_Exactly_ that.

But before Fiona ended up getting dragged off by her collar (trying to look as mature and dignified and shade-glinting as possible) by none other than Hibari Kyoya himself, she attracted a very different kind of trouble towards them. The _worst _kind of trouble.

"Eh? Isn't that the girl Tsuna met in the café last time?"

"I never thought she's from our school!"

"She's a transfer student!"

"So foreign!"

"Do you think she transferred over for him?!"

"Are they dating?"

Fiona offered Tsuna a big grin. Her eyes were still hidden behind shades (why she wore them in the halls, he had no idea), a fact he was glad for for once. He could imagine the rest. "School drama is so cute," she said finally and coolly placed her hands into her skirt pockets.

His cheeks flushed from anger and embarassment. "No, it's not! Aren't you even a little worried what'd happen if that rumor spreads—"

"Nah," she cut in between. "After all _I_ decide what sort of information is allowed to spread now." Mafia tyranny initiated. He could only watch the school burn after all. Then she nudged him with her elbow. "C'mon. It's just puberty. After a while you won't even bother with it any longer. And I'm pretty at least~"

"Easy for you to say! _You _already finished school—!"

The girls in the halls took their cue to renew their oh-so hushed conversations. "Look, they're bickering!"

"Are they that far in their relationship?!" _HUUUH?!_

"We should let her have Dame-Tsuna. Leaves more Gokudera-sama for us. He's been a bad influence on him anyway."

"Yeah, right. Dame-Tsuna and that girl suit each other best."

Gokudera was in front of the group in the blink of an eye, face as dark and threatening as a stormy night. _"They definitely do not," _he spat out. The girls shrunk back (still with hearts in their eyes). Tsuna sighed relieved. Although his methods were harsh and more than just _forceful_ it'd hopefully help stem the rumors back before they started to spread like wildfire across school. If Kyoko were to hear any of this, she'd definitely misunderstand—

"Tsuna-kun?"

Oh **_god!_**

His head turned mechanically to the source of the voice standing in the door frame to their class. There she was, the most beautiful smile beaming at him with a slight expression of wonderment and confusion. "Are you playing games again?" Kyoko pointed at the group behind him. Did he really even want to _look?_

"Oi, smoke screen, it's cute and all, but I can stand up for myself. Remember who saved your ass during four kidnappings by sending out the rescue squads. Right, the omniscient _me_."

Gokudera spun around, sending her a deadly glare. His patience had run thin, exploded like one of his dynamites. Fiona's sunglasses reflected his attack unimpressed. Tsuna ducked behind his hands. In case some deathly rays bounced off to the sides—there's always friendly fire _on_ between those two.

The bomber somehow retained his composure and did not keel her up by her collar again. Instead he harrumphed and crossed his arms victoriously. "As if I'd stand up for _you. _I'm just saying you're not _good _enough to even dream of dating the Juudaime!"

The retort followed instantly. "And you are?" Almost boredly she lowered her shades and peeked over the rim. "Last time I checked you're male, so you're long since off the candidate list." The expression on Gokudera's face was one of the world shattering.

Tsuna's fingers twitched left and right, undecided whom to reach out for. The bickering pair or the smiling—beaming—Kyoko next to him, exposed to all that nonsense sprouting from those two uncouth mouths. When had he ever thought of Fiona as mature again?

It was already too late anyway.

Gokudera took the small boy's hands in his. Tsuna yelped in surprise. But his expression quickly distorted to twitching horror when he saw Gokudera's attempt at a _lovely _face. "J-Juudaime...! Would you... only if you truly wanted... I can be _that_ as well... I simply never imagined...!" Every word was a strain on his mouth, forced out by sheer loyalty.

"DEFINITELY NOT!_"_

Fiona whistled. "He's so fun to tease," she said to Yamamoto.

"Ahaha!" He gave her a playful bump to the shoulder. "You love confusing people."

And just like that Phase 3 of trouble started. A neat transition from worse to worst; the forgotten girls' corner emitting a cloud of blackness with rumors taking on a sharper, more dangerous edge.

"Did Gokudera-sama just confess?"

"No way. I mean Dame-Tsuna? It has to be a joke."

"Yeah, I heard, like, European humor is different. Must've been some bad act she put up or something."

"Yeah, Gokudera-sama is ours..."

Fiona and Yamamoto neatly stepped away from the darkness crawling up their backs.

"Didn't expect that outcome..." she whispered to him.

"At least they forgot about the other rumors," he whispered right back. Hm. Point taken.

And between it all, the cherry on top his misery—Kyoko chuckled! What a beautiful sound it was...! Ah, snap out of it Tsuna! She's going to berate you! He paled and despaired, waving his arms and forcing Gokudera to stand up on his own two legs again, ignoring the angry sparks—why always him?!—and trying to explain.

"I—it's not what it looks like! Gokudera was just picking up—"

"Looks like you're having fun. I'm glad." Eh? D-Did he hear right? "You seemed a little gloomy after hospital, so I was worried." Another chuckle, slightly relieved but ever so cute. Fireworks exploded inside his head. _Kyoko-chan! I can die happily now!_

How was he supposed to deal with the rest of the rumor mill, though?

An arm sneaked around Gokudera's shoulder, turned him to face the crowd and forced his head to bow theatrically. "The show's over! Enjoy another round of Italia's Spontanous Roleplay Roadshow featuring Benivieni Fiona and her stalwart lackey Gokudera Hayato next time! We'll definitely come to _your _classroom as well." Tsuna stared bewildered.

_That's your method of dealing with this?!_

The corridor fell silent until...

Yamamoto clapped first. He gave Tsuna a playful wink and suddenly he understood. As the rest of the corridor slowly followed the popular boy's example and filled the halls with whooping cheers, the girls' anger evaporated to admiring the grey-head's acting skills, Fiona thanked them with more bows, struggling to keep a fuming Gokudera in check, these guys had somehow managed to turn the tables altogether. In his favor.

Warmth flooded his chest. _You guys...! _As a team they were truly strong.

Even Kyoko clapped excitedly. "So it's roleplay this time. How fun! You guys are really good!" A new flush caught his head aflame. If this wasn't heaven already, he'd not know better. Everything looked so bright in this very instant. "So being gloomy was also a part of this. You had me, Tsuna-kun!" W-Well, not quite the truth but if she wasn't mad or anything...

Too quick did the short-lasting heaven spiral back down the roadway to hell.

The voice was smooth, laced with danger and dripping with bloodthirst. "Flocking again, herbivores? Class is about to start. I should bite you to death for the commotion you cause."

Before anybody could fully comprehend, freezing on the spot with the shiver of recognition racing down their backs, Fiona had already spun around, lips parted, one arm raised to clean some mock-sweat from 'acting' off her forehead. "That voice can only belong to my dearest Kyo—"

The tonfa met her throat instantly. The two of them crashed into the windows and for a brief moment everybody feared Hibari would actually bite off a chunk of flesh.

"—_yaaaa... _we've been there already," she hastily finished with raised arms.

Yup.

Trouble.

* * *

"You have guts." There's a smirk ghosting across his lips that only briefly reached his slanted eyes. Calm superiority resonates off his every carefully chosen move as he moved to sit down behind an oaken table.

_And you too much testosterone, _she answered inwardly. The difference in atmosphere before and now could not be greater. He's practically oozing off it. Quite a deed for a middle school student, not that he could be placed within the norm.

Her eyes wandered off to the right of him. A tall teenager with the same unsettling Elvis hairstyle and leather jacket draped over his uniform stood rigid still in the corner. He chewed on a bit of greenery, eyeing her back the same through dark eyes and dark sideburns framing his chiseled face. In many aspects he was the complete opposite of the young boy-devil but she could see in his posture a sense of pride that came from being in a higher regarded position than others. His right hand, perhaps? She'd make sure to take count of the number of his followers and their positions as soon as possible.

Hefting the sunglasses to the top of her shirt, she raised her head to face the challenge with a lopsided sneer. "By just greeting you? You must be truly terrifying." She purposedly left the allusion hanging mid-air.

Black hair fell long and neat by his eyes and the row of large windows at his back showcased the rising good weather aiming for spring. The air around him grew thicker; enough to suffocate anyone trespassing close enough. But he didn't take the bait this time. He'd learned her provocative ways. Truly not your average middle schooler.

Hibari leaned back in his chair. "Only when I find out that an adult is trespassing my school grounds disguised as a middle school student." She would have cheered at his witty answer and attempt to prove he can play along her tune just fine if his words weren't as grave as they were.

How the hell did he find out _already?_

He threw two folders on the table. A tiny gesture of his hand invited her to freely look over them. And possibly get torn apart by his aura alone but she braved the distance nonetheless, almost poignant excitement throbbing through her veins. He offered quite the challenge. Fiona flipped the files open and rose a brow.

_Oh?_

She knew all eyes were on her but the rising pressure only helped to calm her. Oh, she couldn't decipher most of the Japanese gibberish but it was clear those were two different files on her—both owned a picture in the upper right corner, neat rows of something scribbled all the way down. Information. With one minor difference glaring clear and readable up: differentiating birthdates. 19 years opposed to 15.

A grin graced her features, pure and unaltered. Why, that little... "What about medical confidentiality nowadays?" He's influential for sure. Her eyes briefly darted to the Elvis in the corner. Or perhaps extraordinarily thuggish in his methods. "My dear forger has been slacking off."

"I have all sorts of contacts," he answered almost friendly, one side of his lips curved up. Completely mirthless. Despite his voice neutral, ever the predator he kept his eyes trained on her, sharp and intense. Yet even as he drilled through to her very core the first thought crossing her mind was that of them holding their first actual conversation with each other.

There The Fisher cast the fishing rod first, _disparate pattern_. Why would he prefer to talk, instead of act, when she was clearly trespassing his territory?

Going with the flow of throbbing excitement she swung herself atop the table, crossing one leg over the other with a content hum as she looked up the ceiling for a moment. Her fingers rested unfar from his, arms keeping her body steadied in place. "So, you're not going to let me do however I please just like that." She turned to watch his reaction.

For a second his eyes darted down but he caught himself quickly. The fishing rod stirred. _A fighter. Headstrong. Bloodthirsty. Merciless. Proud. True to his word. _

And she, with a tiny scar on her knuckles to prove it all.

"What do you want in my school?"_  
_

_True to his word, _Fiona repeated.

Oh my.

Judging by the way his expression darkened her enlightened grin must have left no doubt even to him that this little game was over in her favor. She raised her right hand, turned to inspect it. How he watched her every move; the tiny white scar dancing back and forth. Of course. There could only be one winner in their battle. And she'd cheated them both out of their deal, drawing out a tie due to one solitary moment of protectiveness when she'd shielded his eyes from the onslaught of icicles.

"What could I want?" she asked innocently, pursing her lips. A simple, impulsive act left enough a lingering presence to tame his temper for so long. From this close she could hear it, the supressed fire within him crackling. The proud type, indeed. He'd not hold out much longer. "I dunno: infiltrate it?"

His tonfa shot up to her jaw. Ever for the head. "Then I'll have to bite you to death."

Fiona offered him a warm smile and leaned in close, hand grasping the cool surface of the tonfa. He wasn't blazing yet. His pride still held him back and he clearly hated it; so much so he'd gone as far as to find her in hospital, to repay a debt to a complete stranger possibly leaving town the very next day. He could not live with himself, carrying a debt to someone.

_"You're not from Namimori."_ And he is so terribly middle school student awkward with his paraphrasing asking.

She'd give him what he wanted, because she liked his unyielding mindset, a forwardness hidden beneath layers of a personality seemingly simple to grasp but going so much deeper. Qualities you find so rarely, she found herself caught in an inescapable net, catapulted back to a day before the incident of that fateful night two years ago. And now she's here, right in front of him.

Hibari Kyoya. You prideful jerk. Time to break the ice—hook, line and sinker. "You owe me, Kyoya."

This time spikes _gently_ brushed her veins.

Blue danced within gray. His breathing steady against her skin. "So if I let you into my school the debt's paid?"

She held his gaze, didn't inch away. "Right-o. My transfer is a legal ordeal actually." To a degree. A long stretch of silence followed, filled with only warm breath and the slight shuffle of leather in the background. It's either do or die now.

Hibari dropped his arm. Fiona leaned back as her neck was released. The deal was sealed. She slid back down onto the carpet and made her way out of the office.

"Herbivore." Fiona stopped mid-stride. Hibari Kyoya stood tall, his back turned towards the large windows and the sole cloud in the sky, meeting her head-on with liquid steel completely unabashed. "My debt is paid with this. If you violate the rules, I _will_ bite you to death."

She blinked once before she grinned. Straightforward, unyielding and utterly honest. Her hand found the handle, scar moving as she pressed the door open. "Heard you loud and clear."

* * *

**Since Bianchi is apparently 17 during the normal timeline (believe it or not), that's what the discussion is based upon in the early bits. I certainly didn't believe the fact at first but the hips, uh, Wiki don't lie.  
**

**Hibari finally got his debt count back to zero. For those wondering about Fiona's forwardness: she is 19, grew up in the Mafia and therefore will think the boys as kids more often than not. They're going to have to show off a little more of their awesomeness. ;) For those wondering about the age gap and appearances: take a look at Kusakabe. He's a middleschooler. (Probably) not in disguise.  
**

**Also due to this and being raised in Europe, she generally refers to people by their first name or nicknames, rude or not. She actually likes being rude.  
**


	6. Valentine's Day

**I don't own ********_Katekyō Hitman Reborn!_****.**

**There's an interesting lack of Disciplinary Committee during the Valentine's Day chapter/episode at school. I wonder why that is~**

* * *

** Target VI: Valentine's Day**

* * *

Fiona stretched her limbs like a cat and yawned openly when the bell finally rung, classes over. School was taxing. All that getting up early in the morning, doing homework and preparing for tests planned somewhere down the line. Her caffeine count rose with each passing day.

For a brief moment she closed her eyes, enjoying relaxed bliss to its fullest before opening them once more to tackle the rest of the day no matter the form it took—in this case meaning suddenly getting greeted by two pairs of big, round eyes looking expectantly at her out of nowhere.

She blinked. "Hi?"

The girls slammed their heads down and into the table that Fiona startled out of her seat and more than a few heads snapped around. "Fiona-chan!" they exclaimed.

"Yes!"

One girl raised her head from the humbling bowing position and never did the Italian see such pleading, desperate eyes as she did right now. "We need your help!"

... huh?

Some minutes of chasing the boys out of class, letting in a good three dozen girls from across all years in like sheep and arranging tables to fit the grandeur of a battle conference, the strangely approached situation was finally cleared up.

Hence Fiona stood in front of all those young beauties like some great politician, missing only the appropriate wardrobe. She placed two fingers on her temple as her mind processed the problem at hand. Real simple actually.

"So, what you're saying is... Valentine's Day is tomorrow and you don't want your chocolate to be confiscated for..." She frowned. "_Crowding._"

Collective nod.

"And me—soon passing the record for longest surviving head of Student Council—has to put in a good word for you to my friendly colleague from the Disciplinary Committee."

Collective (hesitant) nod.

Well, she knew who'd definitely be delighted to see her again so soon.

* * *

Hibari regarded her with only a side glance before continuing reading that tiny book of his. "No."

Fiona placed her hands on his desk. "Pretty please?" He didn't even look up this time. Oh, who am I kidding? "Come on! This school needs some new couples to balance out that black cloud of your leather gang." The numbers she'd gathered were truly frightening. This guy's personal army was _encompassing _to put it lightly.

"Leave my office, herbivore. Rules will be upheld per usual."_ At your leisure, _she mentally completed with an eye-roll. Not that she'd let him write her off that easily. A middle school kid trumping over Vongola's top informant? Ha! Didn't work out the first time around, boy.

"I'm the Student Council. Every room partially belongs to me and every action concerning school activities is to be discussed with _me,_ as well. Until _both_ parties find a worthwhile compromise." She crossed her arms, stared down at him. "I'm not budging an inch."

His eyes flashed dangerously. He laid the book down. "This is my school."

"Our school."

His patience snapped. "We'll see about that."

She dashed through the door like a mad rabbit when he lunged for her.

So much for the diplomatic approach.

* * *

Tsuna sighed as he came back home. He'd just been returned an English test and his grades stayed a steady _bad_. If he'd only had a real homeroom teacher and not a Mafioso trying to mess up his life. How peaceful it could be then. Instead he heard the squeaky voice of I-pin arguing with Lambo's screeching over food _again._

Another sigh left his lips as he entered the loud kitchen. He felt way older than he should. Too much weight on his shoulders. "I'm home—What are _you_ doing here?!"

Fiona turned around with a mouthful of rice. "Yo."

His mom raised her chopsticks reprimanding. "Tsu-kun, don't be so rude! Your new schoolmate just wanted to introduce herself."

Fiona nodded and swallowed. "You're a spoiled kid to have such a lovely mother. The food is excellent, by the way," the Italian trespasser added and beamed over the laid table banquet.

Mom beamed right back. "Oh my! Now you're exaggerating."

One of Tsuna's brows twitched madly. This... this...! He was speechless. How had she already wrapped his mother around her little finger?! When did she even get here, when he'd headed straight home from school without much of a disturbance for once?_  
_

He inched closer to the blonde woman in disguise. "At least warn me you're coming over!" he whispered harshly from the corner of his mouth.

She equally inconspicuously whispered back. "I'm hiding. Jerk knows where my apartment is by now." Tsuna paled at that. The one person Fiona dared brave when nobody else wouldn't. She could only be talking about Hibari Kyoya.

"Y-You two have a strange relationship." _Please, let him not find her,_ he pleaded inwardly. His household _definitely_ counted as crowding. They'd all be killed off!

Flicking her braid over her shoulder, she just shrugged. "Keeps my physique top-notch, though. Lost a pound already." Ahaha...ha...ha.

Why does Reborn only ever bring the strange ones to his house?

When Lambo and I-pin started chasing each other all over the kitchen, he took the chance to sit down next to his schoolmate. For a moment he was at a loss of words. Should he even attempt conversation? All he really wished for was just a peaceful afternoon...

She turned to him first, propping her face up on her arm with a concentrated expression. "How do I keep a leash on that guy? Hayato's easy—just take you as a shield." Tsuna plucked some noodles from his soup and munched down. Yeah. He never came out unscathed from their bickering; mainly traumatized in mind if not wounded physically, but still. At least Fiona and Gokudera were placed in different years otherwise there'd never be a moment of peace.

While he'd been lost in thoughts, she'd already continued whatever was boggling her mind. He only caught onto the last bits. "... only resort to violence." She turned to the side. "Hey, _mamma._" Tsuna choked on the next noodles. These Italians are way too casual! First Dino and now she! "Do you know how to best convince a guy Valentine's Day isn't all that shabby?"

Even the noodles in his throat froze in place. What? Did he hear right?

Mom still contemplated on the answer when another voice cut in then. "Give him a chocolate of Love, of course." Mature and sultry the voice hovered in from the door. Every hair on his body stood on end. Oh no. Not—

Bianchi entered the kitchen, a motorcycle helmet in the hook of one arm, the other resting on the naked slip of skin above her hip that the hem of her t-shirt revealed. "No man will be able to resist you then."

—Worst. Timing. Ever.

It didn't help calm his nerves—and completely buried any chance of serenity—when Fiona jumped up from the table with a big grin plastered to her face, exclaiming a happy "Bianchi!" before giving the other female Mafioso a tight hug.

So. Screwed.

Bianchi eventually leaned back, hands still lingering on Fiona's elbows. "Reborn told me you were in town. Long time no see, Fisher."

"Yeah, stuff happened," she answered sheepish. Then she hooked arms with the maroon-head. "Anyhow, about that chocolate you mentioned. I just got a wonderful idea we should talk about. You still into Poison Cooking?"

Trouble would brew. And Tsuna feared the worst.

* * *

The atmosphere at school on Valentine's Day differed greatly in comparison to the rest of the year. A buzzing curiosity and tension kept the boys on edge and fidgeting, turning heads in hopes of seeing that one girl or two they'd wished to see giggling at the end of a hallway with a small, red ribboned package only waiting to be given to one's heart's desire—

Mainly Yamamoto and Gokudera, that is.

"Man, those two sure are popular." Tsuna jumped in surprise as dark blonde strands brushed his cheeks.

"HIIIE! Don't scare me like that!" Fiona slowly bobbed her head in reminiscence of a nod before withdrawing it from his shoulder. She stood her full height and yawned heartily. He could smell the faint scent of chocolate on her.

Meanwhile girls swarmed the two boys in the corridors; Yamamoto laughing as usual as he thanked each girl personally while Gokudera tried to outrun them in the most casual fast walk he could muster. They kept up with him well, though.

The Italian next to him sighed at that. "If I'd known they'd cluster around two corridors _only_ I'd have just locked them away instead... would've gotten more sleep..."

Trouble stirred early. One corner of his lips twitched furiously as he turned to the woman. "Fiona-san." His voice was completely strained with underlying dread. "What exactly did you do?"

"Student Council business, friend," she shot back instantly and pocketed her hands in her skirt. It was all the answer he needed to fear the consequences already. He feared the moment she became head of student council that more chaos would ensue at school. Look at where they were now. Luckily Yamamoto managed to break out of the circle surrounding him in that very moment to join them, keeping his thoughts elsewhere for the moment.

With arms full of chocolate in varying sizes and forms he stopped in front of the two with a big smile on his face. Tsuna strained his neck to spot Gokudera skidding around a corner—his endeavor ended with females behind him apparently _multiplying._

"Haah~ This is so tiring. I don't remember last year being this busy, do you Tsuna?" Said boy bit back a bitter laugh. Of course Yamamoto's vision of this event _slightly_ differed from his. Dame-Tsuna doesn't get any chocolates whatsoever. Still a tiny voice squeaked and squirmed inside his mind: Even if it's still morning, but perhaps this year, with Kyoko...

A man could hope, right?

Outwardly he shrug his shoulders. "Well," he stole a glance in Fiona's direction. "Without Hibari-san's Committee around the girls seem braver."

Yamamoto hummed in thought, balancing on one leg to slide the received chocolates inside his backpack. "Yeah, I haven't seen a single one so far. They're usually on time." He yanked the zipper close. "Did you give chocolate to anyone, Fiona-chan?"

"If you count me being busy drugging said Disciplinary Committee with chocolates, then yes, I did." The tall boy laughed merrily at that. Tsuna's face drained of all its color.

"You did what?!"

"Student Council business, hush now." The smile by her lips spoke of sinister tales.

Yamamoto patted him on his frozen shoulder. "She's just trying to be friends with them. Look at how Hibari and she get along!"

Well... not so well, maybe?!

Fiona nodded and sniffed at the ends of her pony tail. "'Least I smell delicious now. Can't get the smell from baking out my clothes." Then it was her turn to rummage through her backpack. She pulled out two neatly ribboned sachets with chocolate coated cookies piling up atop another inside. "These are for you guys. Just as friends, no lovey-dovey stuff. My friendly neighbor lady told me that there's a difference."

Tsuna blinked in surprise as the rustling sachet landed on his open palms. Well, that was actually very nice of—

She leaned in close to his ear and mouthed a "Take it as an apology in case you get dragged down to hell with me within the next hour. I do not mean premeditated harm, remember?"

—forget it. We're talking about the person behind the mysterious absence of the whole Disciplinary Committee. She's only trying to change topics and confuse them as usual!

Yamamoto didn't own such thoughts obviously, too gullible in nature and not nearly as easy to provoke and jump onto the matter like a certain busy grey-head. "Thanks! And what are you saying? All chocolates I received today are friend chocolates." Tsuna and Fiona exchanged glances. Yeah right. One look at the females still gawking behind his back and giggling like there's no tomorrow spoke volumes. Thoroughly a naïve guy.

Deciding not to dwell on it any longer, Fiona casually pointed over their heads. "So, anybody think he's ever going to finish his rounds today?" She shook a third cookie-filled sachet between her fingers.

The boys turned around, watching Gokudera increase his pace and head up the stairs under cursing. Yamamoto placed a hand behind his head and ruffled the black hair. "I think it'll take a while. You should head on to class or else you'll be late." Fiona was just about to nod when a voice cut in through the hall, low and menacing.

"_Herbivore._"

Fiona zipped up her backpack and pulled it over one shoulder. "I guess I will be anyway."

* * *

They headed up the stairs in silence. Fiona was on guard. Silence wasn't good per se, especially when she'd predicted a lovely fighting outburst, lusting after her blood dripping all over the ground in agony. Best check how deep the waters are before the storm fully engulfed her.

"You _could_ just call me by my name if you need something." She glanced to the side. No reaction. Just the steady flutter of the jacket draped over his shoulders as they ascended.

Oh, he was royally pissed.

By now she knew where they were headed. No other place in school was as far up as the roof. The past couple weeks had been filled with misadventures—and the roof one of her short-lived hiding places before he sniffed out evem that one. It was sheer luck she had no discernible bruises to show so far. He definitely didn't like defiant student councils.

Hibari opened the door and she cautiously stepped out to a clear blue sky on the roof. Quick glance left and right—check, all safe. Until his voice finally broke the silence. "You really wish to die."

He was fast. Faster than ever before.

Before she knew it he'd gotten ahold of her wrist and yanked it painfully hard behind her back. She could almost feel the bone in her shoulder pop out of its socket from the sudden force. Using her temporary distraction he pushed her and she stumbled backwards until she was pressed tight against the railing and his body, leaving her torso dangling dangerously far over the metal. A spiked tonfa hovered close over neck and collarbone.

Fiona grinned with a beating heart. "You people seriously shouldn't get an informant on your bad side." She felt the spikes touch her throat, stressing the skin without breaking. "But you keep on trying _so hard_."

Whatever flashed through his eyes for the split-second following her statement quickly vanished, replaced by the flare of anger and competition. "Perhaps you should think first before harming my men instead, herbivore. You violated the rules." Ah, so he'd overheard _that_ particular part. She thought she'd felt a presence lurking nearby.

A grim smile ghosted across his lips. "I warned you."

She finished him off with one last, devastating line. "And I did say 'compromise'."

It was all it took to snap patience's thread. The muscles on his fingers constricted, tonfa glinting as the sun hit the steely surface—

—Fiona pushed herself off the railing.

His eyes widened in surprise as his prey slid away from his grasp, tonfas cutting away at the buttoned-up shirt instead of skin. For a moment the world consisted only of the bright sky and her body toppling, tips of long hair framing her vision as gravity reeled her in; chest slipping inch by inch over cool metal until it brushed her upper leg and she fell—

She locked the long limbs tight around his waist. _Gotcha. _

Like a caught animal, he reared up instinctively, fighting against the sudden strong pull. As soon as the sky stopped rotating, her hands found a hold of the railing and with a twist of her body she twirled herself back up, released her clutch on him and kicked him in the gut upon landing. He grunted and staggered back the moment she spun to a standing position once more, flicking her hair over a shoulder in one fluid motion. The white shirt of her uniform clung in tatters to her body.

"Wao," he whistled before he lunged at her.

"Always a pleasure," she answered as she braced herself for the attack.

"Hibari-san, stop!"

They did hear the yell. She knew she did. But maybe he couldn't stop in time and maybe she took one step too far. Whatever the reason, their feet touched, eyes locked, and a spike buried itself deep into the crook of her neck.

Biting, stinging, burning and boiling _pain._

"Fuuuuuck!" she cursed and flailed backwards, only increasing the burn as the weapon slid out of her flesh with a loud _slosh. _Even with her hands pressed against the wound, the blood gushed out in pulsating bursts past her fingers. She went to her knees, reddening the tiles. "Oh, you shitty lunatic," she muttered through gritted teeth and sent him a glare but he was occupied elsewhere already.

In the doorway stood a handful of Elvises, upfront none other than culm-eating Kusakabe Tetsuya with a slightly opened mouth in what she presumed must have been either the daring interruption or a curse finding its way past the greenery.

At least he had the dignity to look slightly worried about the lady in pain over yonder.

"What's the matter?" Hibari casually asked. As casual as _you better have a good reason or else it's going to be your head first_ can be.

Kusakabe squirmed in his own hide. "Shouldn't we first—" He hesitantly pointed in her direction.

"Don't mind me," she cut in with a raised arm, completely reassuring and all that while inwardly her heart raced like mad. If that blood so much as touched her hair...! "Please continue. Shit, you did a good job on me."

"Watch your language, herbivore."

"I can't even curse?!"

He simply turned his attention back to the gathered Disciplinary Committee. What a jerk.

To her surprise the Elvises suddenly bowed a perfect 90 degrees. "We apologize for our lateness!" they exclaimed jointly. Kusakabe looked up first. "The Disciplinary Committee cannot arrive without proper uniform to their work place. Somebody played a prank and hid them altogether. It took some time to find the items." He looked over to the Italian, ridiculed. "Mine were buried beneath the garden shack."

That expression.

Fiona's long supressed laughter finally bubbled up to the surface.

She doubled over—half in pain, half under laughter—and simply let go. Oh, the unintentional hilarity in Hibari's face as he noticed that something was off when his subordinates recalled their stories one by one: of stolen styling gel, leather jackets hidden in the most ridiculous places (grandma's undies, she remembered for one), and partially missing or mismatching school uniforms. All of them ended the same way, though.

The Elvises pulled out sachets of chocolate and cookies, some opened up, others a little rough around the edges, but all of them in the same neatly ribboned manner.

Hibari stared at her.

Totally worth it.

Fiona let out a breathy chuckle as she finally gathered her composure. She'd stayed up all night for this undertaking. "Yeah, drugging them wasn't _quite_ the option. I chose to befriend them instead. The Student Council and Disciplinary Committee will have to work close together after all."

_"No man will be able to resist you then."_ Truer words had never been spoken by that wise woman.

That her poison cooking didn't _quite_ produce the initially intended results is a whole 'nother matter. Bianchi turned more deadly with each passing year. Nobody needed to know she'd burned the stuff before aiming for Plan B because Plan A almost involved evacuating her apartment and probably the rest of the city alongside. Because acid.

With a toothy smile—fingers still pressed tightly to the wound—she turned to the dumbfounded men. "Happy Valentine's Day, guys. Hope we'll get along better from now on."

They shared glances; between themselves, the sachets, Hibari. Eventually their eyes fell on the Italian in disguise again. A couple of them opened their mouth to say something but they never got a word out.

"You purposely delayed students from coming to school and deprived them of their ability to act out on school-relevant safety protocols. The reason they are part of the Disciplinary Committee," Hibari broke the silence with a serious face.

Fiona huffed her cheeks and got up to one knee. "C-O-M-P-R-O-M-I-S-E. Wouldn't have had to if you'd simply talked with me."

"This is my school."

"_Our_ school."

He raised his tonfa. Fiona's feet moved on their own.

They're buddies again, all right.

* * *

**Happy Valentine's Day everyone! We don't_ always_ need to be all lovey-dovey-fluffy to get through the day. ;p Drugging your beloved is always an option, ****uh, you didn't hear it from me, though, okay? Ahem.  
**

**Don't leave the poor review box waiting. It's hungry for some kind words! And it won't bite, promise! Knowing that this story is read and well-received would make me a reeeal happy writer. **

**And since we're at it (I couldn't fit it anywhere else): If you squint real hard, you can just _maybe_ spot_ some_ fluff in the...  
**

* * *

**Extended Cut!**

* * *

By the time Hibari returned home it had turned dark outside.

Shutting the door close after him and slipping out of his shoes and jacket, he also pulled out a blue parcel from one of his pant's pockets. He held it between his fingers like a fragile load, eyeing it with mild curiosity. Tiny rills followed the length of the wrapped gift he'd received during his usual patrol through Namimori from the tiny baby girl, not far from his house and just before the sun fully set.

Even without opening the lid it smelled faintly of chocolate.

He stepped into the living room and placed the simple but elegant parcel down onto the end table before heading for the kitchen.

Only to be greeted by a tiny ribboned sachet sitting atop the counter filled with chunks of thin, dark chocolate the moment he entered. He rose a brow and stepped up to the mysterious item. Next to it lay a small note written in a curved, extravagant writing. The absence of Kanji revealed the author even when she hadn't left a name.

_"You're definitely the bittersweet type._

__Happy Valentine's Day._"_

Hibari tugged at the ribbon. How did she manage to sneak into his house?


	7. Survival of the Fittest

**I don't own ********_Katekyō Hitman Reborn!_****.**

**For any references to (braided) hairstyles, I refer to either **_Cute Girls Hairstyles_** or **_Missy Sue_** on youtube. Just look the name up to find the looks because I'd be lost on how to name (or describe!) these creations otherwise.**

* * *

** Target VII: Survival of the Fittest**

* * *

Her alarm went off with shrill ringing. Fiona fell out of bed in a heap of blankets and a similar pile of curses. The wooden flooring smelled of lemon-fragranced coating and a thin layer dust.

She cracked her eyes open tentatively.

Why must the sun rise anew every goddamn day?

* * *

**A Day in the Life of a Mafioso.**

**Late Morning  
**

* * *

It's easy to divide the different stages she went through over the course of a regular day. _Regular_ being highly emphasized here. Because it always started out normal enough...

_"Down, down, down, down, down!"_ The chant was in perfect unison although it was difficult to say whom they actually rooted for.

Ryohei's face was pulled up in a frown, a canine peeking through his strained, pursed lips. Fiona ground her teeth in equal strain that she feared they'd crack under the pressure. _Come on...!_ she pleaded._ Budge!_ The cheering grew to a deafening peak—

With a roar erupting from his lips Ryohei slammed her hand hard into the desk that she yelped in pain. "Fuuuuck," she whined as she went down.

"A measly 4.1 seconds," the impromptu referee (aka the class rep) declared with a glance at his stopwatch and the audience howled like wolves. "Try harder next time." He offered her a friendly, glass-rimmed smile before turning to the masses like a great roman spokesman. "Anyone else wanna challenge the champion?!"

Aaaaand silence.

"Pumped to the EXTREME!" the winner whooped with raised bandaged arms.

Sasagawa "The Beast" Ryohei—no one could hope to best him at arm wrestling.

Fiona paused to regard her misused hand. _I know. I know it hurts, don't cry anymore. _Then she blew over the red hand print across her own digits like the beaten puppy she felt like. It still throbbed in a silent whine.

Ryohei jabbed a finger directly at her face as sudden as his every movement was and oh-so-gently pulled her back into the real world. "That's how you do it, Benny! Now you have to join the Boxing Club!" If she'd not researched it herself she would've never believed that guy to be the brother of the so cute and naïve Kyoko. Hell, even armed with that knowledge the resemblance was difficult to spot.

By now she'd taken to circling and massaging her wrist in an attempt to ease the pain. "I don't remember betting with you. No."

"But you have a strong grip!" _Is this sarcasm? Is he actually capable of sarcasm? Hand, what do you think? _

Throb, throb, throb.

_Thought so._

"It's more a thing of knowing where the dent in the desk is." She motioned towards the heavy inward bulge caused by too many fierce finishing moves on those that had sat here before and which he'd crushed in a relatable fashion. A collective circle of red hands grinned sheepishly. Why had she taken up the challenge again? Right—some wicked idea to speed into the infirmary to avoid the embarrassment of Japanese class. Not knowing Kanji sucks.

Throb, throb, throb.

Didn't quite work out.

Ryohei stared in astonishment at his own doing. Then he gaped at her. "WHAT?! You tricked me?!"

"Just evening the odds," she retorted promptly._  
_

His eyes gleamed with determination. He slammed his elbow back into the wood, on the same side as the dent. "Rematch!"

She gingerly withdrew her mangled limb. "No way."

They sat in the last row by Ryohei's desk. She mused that their homeroom teacher situated him there time after time most likely because his loud organ taken upfront manhandled each and every one of the teaching personnel otherwise. Just a friendly guess of course.

Still. Fiona liked his straightforwardness. It's a trait she treasured, really, if she could only find a way to dam the over-eagerness that came along with it. Seriously, the pain he could deal out! It's like being sliced up by Hibari's tonfa all over again. What a lovely Valentine's Day present _that_ had been after all the effort she'd been through. She peeked at the reddening knuckles. The small scar had faded to a less visible shade but when she ran her thumb over it she could still feel the roughened texture beneath.

Fiona sighed and forced a halt to her thoughts. Focus and prioritize: She wanted coffee, a massage and the quickest way back to bed. A solid list.

Ryohei's booming laughter caught her attention back to reality. "Didn't think you had it in you! But you're with Sawada so you must be strong, right?"

She leaned into her backrest as the crowd dispersed into their own little groups around them and a steady buzz of conversations filled the air. A satisfied grin slid across her lips. "I guess so."

"Jeez, she's the head of Student Council. That speaks for itself," a different voice altogether answered from behind her shoulder.

Fiona craned her neck to greet her classmate casually resting one arm on her shoulder as soon as he approached. "Yo, Arata." She sensed another presence stalking him. Her face lit up. "And Mousie!"

An angry squawk hovered over. "Oi! Stop calling me that!"

"Aw, but you're just so cu—_oof!_" Oh, for the love of... Searching fingers reached overhead to get a firm hold on that messy, black nest of curls Arata called hair. "Don't fall asleep on me again, you rascal."

With a light squeeze to her shoulder, the black mop further nuzzled into her neck, comfortably placing more of his weight atop her own and engulfing her in a clingy embrace of manly odor. "But your hair is so soft," he mumbled. He was losing it again. Great.

She sent Ryohei a warning glare when his lips started to part in a full-fledged grin. "You could at least try to—" More weight stopped her mid-sentence; strands of black tickling her chin. She huffed in exasperation. Of all the people it must be the _giant_ to be narcotic. "_Ryohei,_" she warned some more. Which translated as: _If he messes up my beautifully done Winding Lace Braid Ponytail, I'm gonna kick all your asses into oblivion again._

"Alright, alright," he laughed out as he reached over and shouldered the knocked-out Arata with ease. A quick glance to her pocket mirror affirmed that nothing was amiss. Every knot was in its place. You don't mess with this artwork easily and leave unscathed. As she combed through the lower strands with her fingers she noticed someone in the back of it whom she'd nearly forgotten.

Ah, the sly grin was back in an instant. "Cute little Mousies should not hide behind such large men as Arata. Don't just stand there like a lost puppy."

She could almost feel the tremble traveling down said boy's body. His eyebrow twitched in annoyance; chubby cheeks puffed up and brows pulled down in an agitated frown. "If you weren't a girl I'd have hit you so hard already." He held his head high and mighty as he strutted past them—Ryohei just about managed to plonk a snoozing Arata down in a stray chair—but the boiling kettle was palpable beneath the deceptively cool layer of skin.

Fiona propped her head on her palm. "Aren't you the chevalier."

Mouse crossed his arms defiantly. There we go. "No use hitting a monster. Too much fur to get through."

"Now you're just talking about Arata's fuzz. I'm as smooth as a baby's bottom all over my body and my hair's a sight to behold."

She had to give him credit: for a middle schooler he kept his cool pretty well. Tsuna would have started stuttering from now on. "An ogress is smooth all over as well, I heard."

"That's missing the chevalier point by a large margin, you know?"

"Only getting across my point, Miss Student Council." He bobbed his head in a mock-bow. "Never meant the chevalier one." That cheeky little bastard. She loved him.

The pair was an odd one: On one hand we have Kurosawa Arata, a six-foot tall bundle of lean limbs with a black-haired nest of curls atop his head; full, pouty lips generally pulled up in one mischievous grin or the other, and eyes similarly aglow with glee; he was the sort of guy to stand out in a crowd like a celebrity. He was a looker, all right_._ Playing as a regular on the baseball team alongside Yamamoto (who praised him for his dangerous curve balls) only added the cherry on top his popular looks, it would seem.

_If_ his whimsical nature didn't get the best of him and he ended up (over-)sleeping (training), looking at the clouds or rushing off to do something else entirely out of boredom or childish curiosity. Instead that the girls went all crazy over him, he, against all logical sense of sex-appeal, managed to invoke motherly instincts first, love-related one last. His narcoleptic tendencies didn't help the issue. The female side of the classroom cushioned his desk with cute, frilled pillows for him to fall on as to not hurt his head before his fuzzy hair ended up as one braid experiment or the other.

What a shame.

Hayashi Isamu on the other hand... He made her smile against all odds. Your smaller-than-average Japanese, and though his well-combed hair was shiny and fluffy like chicklet feathers it helped only bring out his overall chubbiness instead of concealing it. His eyes were beads in his face and his presence practically invisible when you passed him on the streets but boy could he lash out when annoyed. His detention count due to constant arguing with the teachers was appropiate—most of the time he does it in the name of the big child sleeping in the chair over yonder, head embedded into cute, frilled pillows; his best friend. A true mother dragon lingering in its lair. Again the motherly instincts. Arata does his job well.

Suffice to say that Fiona loved her sharp-witted wars. There's just something about dancing around the limit of pure hatred and an unwilling liking that never gets boring. Pressing all the right spots with teasing and provoking without ever crossing the border towards the bad was a thrilling game which she enjoyed to do with a number of people the most. This one little Japanese is among the top.

And Isamu's (nicknamed Mouse) number one rule to behold? He was not cute. _Ever._

"Just because I'm Student Council doesn't make me an ogress," she retorted with a pout.

Mouse tapped his forehead. "You're head to head with the Disciplinary Committee. Either you're a monstrous ogre or have some screws loose."

Fiona shrug her shoulders. "Sounds like jealousy to me."

"Jealous?" He snorted. "Nah, I treasure what femininity I have." Femininity?! In what part wasn't she feminine? Hell, where is he more feminine than she, is the question, that cheeky menace! These brats are so ungrateful for the daily sight they are offered—she tried her very best to look presentable every day. Try being born a woman before you judge, bastard!

Just as she was about to open her mouth to retort, Ryohei patted her on the shoulder on his way back to his seat. "Don't worry, Benny. I'm on your side. You don't have any screws loose." _Hmm? _The boxer faced the boy with a determined expression. She perked up with interest. What could he have to offer? "You should see her footwork—I've never seen any ogre run so fast!" He slammed a curled hand into his open palm. "She's got to be the Queen of Ogres!"

For once even Fiona was at a loss of words.

_Stage 1: Go through a normal day of class.  
_

* * *

**Midday**

* * *

"Your work?"

Not for the first time she wondered why that guy was not already a part of the Mafia. A hitman specifically. He fit the role so extraordinarily she simply had the urge to recruit him over, let him become one of Vongola's best. Also to make sure to have her name mentioned in the process because a little awe among her peers doesn't hurt. Concentrating back on the present, though.

The beaten, bent, and mishandled desk rattled as she turned it between her hands to inspect it. She hadn't even noticed the wood splinters. "Nah." _Not entirely true. _"Was just about to make a report to the principal." _Not entirely true either. _She flicked a flake of dangling wood off. "Maybe do a formal request for sturdier furniture while I'm at it."

She did say it started out normal enough.

Hibari regarded her coolly from behind his desk. "If you knew how to properly regulate troublemakers it would not be needed." He nodded in the general direction of the vandalized school furniture. "Who's the culprit? My men will deal with him." Steel lit up to a brighter shade at the prospect of orderly punishment and Fiona resisted the urge to take a step back.

The famed cooperation was—for once—not as she esteemed it to be. Not when she was _so_ close on the verge of breaking his precious rules. Any misstep and she'd be out of the game and she really did not wish to think about Reborn's reaction to that. It's not like the cranky comment about her going to join the _Karate Club_ instead of the _Boxing Club_ because of her _so amazing footwork_ had ticked Ryohei off enough to prove his club's supremacy and almost hit her square in the face...

_("If it's my footwork you praise I should just head to the Karate Club or somethi—"_

_"Don't say it!"_

_Too late._

_"We can still train your fists, don't worry!"_

**_Clank—Crash_—**_"Oh shit!"_**—**_**Whack!**—****"Why me?"****—Quack!****  
_

_Ryohei's fist trembled against the upturned desk. His laughter emboldened another round of whooping from the male side of the class and she could hear the class rep taking up his beloved referee job again._

_Fiona locked gazes with her enemy-turned-victim Arata, who had to squeeze in tight beside her to fit under the makeshift shield of a desk. "Why did I wake to this?" he asked bewildered before he swiftly blocked another attack with the grace of a gladiator. She cowered beneath his tall frame, somewhat caught between the growing bubonic desk and his chest._

_Had to defend my womanly honor somehow, she thought to herself. After all those blows to her ego. Large men hold first place in potential threat eliminator. "**I** didn't aim the table at you." But she did dodge out of its way. No matter.  
_

_"Ha! You're good, Kurosawa!" Ryohei yelled as his fist outstretched once more with the speed of light. His feet danced across the tiles. "You should join the Boxing Club, too!"_

_Arata rubbed his droopy eyes. "And I slept so well..." The class picked up their cheers again, going 'down, down, down, down!'. "I can hear Isa-chan's voice. Why did you not involve him?"_

_Meanwhile: "See how extreme boxing is, Benny?!"_

_Fiona had to yell when the desk above her vibrated like a chime under another hit. "More defense, less questions!" She grabbed a tighter hold of her quivering braid. How to dam that over-eagerness? It's unpredictable!  
_

_"I'm trying my best here!" Arata snapped. The desk rang again and a deep dent the shape of a fist stopped inches from Arata's eyes. The sight was almost comical. If their lives weren't at stake here. He panted hard as he ducked away for another split-second. "Any plans?" The skipping feet hovered into a fighting stance._

_Suddenly the speakers crackled into existence and a calm and collected voice boomed over them: **"Student Benivieni Fiona's presence is requested in the Reception Room. I repeat: Benivieni Fiona to the Reception Room, please."**_

_It took her one heartbeat to come up with a plan._

_When the next strikes connected, she pressed all her weight into the desk—the boxer's double hits protruding and embracing both sides of her head in frightening precise perfection as he brushed her ears—and yanked the desk legs from Arata's grasp with one harsh tug—_

_—only to circle around him swiftly, table firmly strapped to her back like a turtle's shell, and dash for the door with the best and fastest footwork she could manage.)_

Well, maybe it had ticked him off just a little.

Fiona shrug her shoulders. "It's not like I know every student. Some guy, black hair, Japanese." Ryohei better buy her a month's ration of coffee beans for this one. "'Bit difficult to see his face when all I see is _table._" She offered a look of bewilderment and crooked a finger at the wood. Hibari clicked his tongue almost inaudibly and she saw disappointment flicker through his hard eyes. A fighting opportunity missed. Too bad. Not.

Good to know she'd earned the barest begrudging respect he could muster up, though, for else she'd have bolted out of the room the moment he spotted his beloved school's bastartized furniture_ in her hand_. It's a start. Still: better to sleep with the school rules right under her pillow instead of risking it with him. All about bending and walking the thin, thin line. Hibari was, after all, the Number One in her maddening game. Would be a shame to ruin their glorious relationship.

When the silence stretched on long enough to be considered safe, she rolled her stiff shoulders to ease some tension. With the confidence and convenience of someone raised in the bloody Mafia she strutted over to the couch and made herself comfortable as if she didn't belong anywhere else. "So, what do you need me for?"

His eyes lit up another shade at her carefree demeanor. A little more and she'd see his blue streaks much more clearly. That usually meant battle-time but until then she was completely safe so long as she played by the rules. Hibari Kyoya's a tough nut, one which asked for her full attention if she wanted to crack it. Step by step she'd make herself a bubble and haven but for now this would suffice.

The head prefect eventually fell back into his chair and placed his feet atop the desk, accepting for the moment. "He asked for you," he simply said.

Fiona blinked as she placed the table down. "Who?"

Hibari yawned—the amount of boys yawning around her was perturbing—and pointed to her left. She inched towards the end of the couch and curiously leaned over the edge.

Oh my.

She prodded the bloody pulp of a body strewn across the pale carpet, head weakly propped up against the armrest, breathing a wheeze with every intake a visible strain. Judging by the uniform it was a male student. From their school. "Should I know him?"

"Friendship Committee," came the curt answer.

Fiona blinked again, unsure whether to laugh or not. But eventually the smirk couldn't completely drain from her face. "We have a Friendship Committee?" she asked, bemusement clear in her voice. Hibari shrug his shoulders as if he'd been just as surprised.

Instead of trying to gain any more information from the head prefect, she chose to prod the boy slightly harder. He moaned in pain. Still alive and consultable; worked with worse states before. Things worked well between them and the school's infirmary bustled like a beehive as well.

The beaten-up boy cracked open a slowly swelling eye. "I—is that you, Fiona-san?"

"Yup." She rolled off the couch and squatted next to him. Her hand absent-mindedly brushed the strands of his blood-sticky hair from his face. He twitched at the slightest touch from her fingertips but she saw him visibly relax upon recognition of safety instead of danger.

"Did you come to help us...?" _Us. _Meaning more than one. Meaning a few bodies were missing. She glanced in Hibari's direction, saw his eyes brighten a little more at the whispered question. _You — h__elp __us _would indicate that she _did_ know these students and _did_ come here with a purpose. Well, walking the line she goes.

The student coughed dramatically. She wondered whether he would get beaten up post hoc if the blood stained the carpet and needed to be replaced. On that regard: poor Cleaning Committee. They'd actually have to clean the room under Hibari's eagle watch. "We... we thought..." he coughed again, eyes darting between her and the dangerous aura emitting from the oaken desk.

Fiona brushed a thumb over his cheek in soothing circles. "Take it slow. It's okay."

He gulped and she could've sworn she saw manly tears well up in his eyes when they locked with hers. He nodded with renewed strength and pushed himself a little higher into a more comfortable position. A strong spirit. She offered him a smile at that. _Go on. Tell me you didn't do something completely stupid._

"We thought... we could try to befriend H-Hibari-san. To do... what nobody dared before. Why do you... but nobody else...?" He coughed again. "He's always so... stoic... and everyone needs friends... to have a sunny day. That's our motto!" He managed something that sounded much like a dying man's last laugh. "We were inspired by your actions across school... and wanted to try it in a more friendly way. We founded the club just recently!"

The smile stayed in place—

Oh god. It's the _literal_ definition of a Friendship Committee!

—She's a professional after all. "How _many_ of you wanted to befriend him?"

Another cough. A speckle of blood and saliva ended up on her knee which she casually wiped off with one end of her sleeve. "We came as a group of four... the more the merrier, we thought..."

Problem assessed: He did something completely stupid.

And since he thought that the authority of the slim number of Student Council members could compromise the authority of the whole lot of Disciplinary Committee, he called out to her for a _truce_ out of all things, and a way to get out after the plan so obviously failed. Little did he know things didn't work that way. Definitely not that easily, at least.

She offered him a gentle smile, stroked his hair into a more presentable mess. "We'll go looking for your friends right away, okay? And then I'll teach you how _not_ to approach the head prefect, aye? _Ever again._" And while she was at that, she'd screw with their minds and ruin their wannabe-psychological approaches to situations that they should stay out of even _after_ they got their college degree in psychology.

Not that he'd ever catch a glimpse of her thoughts.

The boy blanched. "Y-Yes. We just thought..."

"Shh." She placed a finger on his lips. Her mind was already on different matters altogether. "You need a lot of rest now. I'll deal with this." Without waiting for an answer she jumped up in a start and stalked over to the windows, past a silently observing Hibari. He'd gotten somewhat used to the bravado she placed into her actions. Like a true predator he lingered before he struck a blow—a much needed trait when in regards to her. Her footwork was that amazing after all.

"You didn't dispose of them out of the window, did you? Window-dumping is always such a mess." Fiona opened one of the windows and leaned over but could not spot another body nor three. With swift fingers she shut it back close, ignoring the startled huff of the semi-corpse in the room.

Hibari raised a brow in inquiry. She shrug her shoulders and pocketed her hands in her skirt. "Ever shoved a pudding off the table?" He regarded her with a long stare. "I take it they're well and alive then."

If there is one remarkable feature in the dangerous boy's face, it had to be his eyes. He could hold direct eye-contact and make it seem like you want to dump yourself out of the windows like no other. "My men carried the rest away. This one is their leader. I thought I could have a little fun with him, but..." His look said something along the lines of_ 'a pity excuse of a leader'._ "He broke quickly." He shrug his shoulders indifferently.

Ah, the beauty of a man seeing other human lives as nothing more than toys. True hitman spirit. "No wonder Reborn's interested," she said with a toothy grin as she crossed the distance between her and the beaten boy once more. The look he gave her was incredulous. _That's how things work here, boy. No romanticism. _"Up we go!" she exclaimed shortly before she slung one of his arms around her shoulder and heaved him up.

She was almost halfway to the door when he interrupted her haste. "Did you think I called you over only to clean up, herbivore?" Fiona stopped and turned around to meet the boy and his casually spinning tonfa.

"I hoped I could slip out before you noticed," she answered bluntly. Finally his eyes had reached the stage of intent gleaming so brash that his presence drowned the whole room. The boy on her shoulder whimpered in fear.

One day she'd have him stand still long enough so she could check whether the bright, icy blue streaks were simply imagination or just the right angle of light hitting them to make them dance as they were prone to do. The polite smile—smug smirk—was in place when he spoke again. "The students are growing restless and rebellious. You don't have a word in this?"

"I have nothing to do with it. Nor the foundation of this club." She readjusted the boy's weight so she could move a little more freely. Her fingers reached down low behind her back while her eyes held his firmly locked in place. _Where is it? _"I don't encourage suicide."

Spin, spin, spinning tonfa. "But he still called _your_ name in help." Because she _was_ the only force standing against the black tidal wave that was Elvis Enterprise. And the students weren't rebellious. They were as calm as ever, probably more so since the end of their school year neared with tests awaiting them. He was simply out to get her for all the things she'd done. As always.

It _could_'ve been perceived as borderline dangerous barter. He was sort of bloodthirsty-playful like that. She _could_'ve talked it out under normal circumstances, with other people, other personalities. This was not one of them.

Because Hibari did not _talk_ things out.

Her searching hand found its target and clutched it tightly, feet taking another step backwards for the right angle. Fiona flashed him a brilliant smile. "Keep the table, thank me later."

The mangled table sailed across the room the moment the last syllable left her mouth.

Her back crashed into the door and tanked it open with the momentum of the movement just in time to see the wood explode in a shower of splinters before crashing—all bits and pieces—into the window. In a slippery moment of reality her foot slid over the corridor's smooth tiles declaring freedom. She threw the student off her shoulder that he slammed into the wall before she caught herself and dashed into the general direction of _escape._

"You better name your child after me!" she yelled over her shoulder but by then steel was out to get her and was all she could see in the vast flurry of corridors to follow her chase.

_Stage 2: Attempt to dabble in politics._

* * *

**Early Afternoon**

* * *

Fiona drew the collar of her uniform a little higher and slid around corners, sticking close to the walls. She'd outrun him long enough for school to end and the masses of students heading home gave her a natural hideout to escape the head prefect's clutches. Tonfas. Whatever. Another day to live, another tale to tell. All that was left was to get home in one piece. Get cozy on her couch, watch some movie or two and check up on her information network. Expand it for the section of 'flying school tables are not effective'.

As she exited into the school yard and the crowds began to thin out, she also briefly considered getting herself a black wig to perfect her ability to disappear within the mass and completely from sight when she felt a presence approaching her from her flank. She spun around—no tonfa, she belatedly registered—and hit palm-first.

"Good reflexes, Benny!" Ryohei boomed with laughter as he blocked her hand with his ulna, mere inches from his face.

Fiona shook her hand as she lowered it. "Don't scare me like that. I thought you were someone else."

"I wanted to test you!" He grinned broadly. "We didn't get to finish our discussion earlier." _And why is that? _It's not like they had an actual discussion going. More like an exchange of fists than of words. "You have to come watch Boxing training today! It's extremely superior to anything you've seen!"

"You do know that you owe me for what I just had to endure?"

A fire burned in his eyes as he remembered. "I saw you and Hibari outside during class. Your fighting spirit was so intense! I broke another table just to get out and fight with you guys!" She simply chose to blink. Blink and soak in the information. It's just another number on the bill. "Kurosawa held me back and I got scolded by the teacher but it was worth it," he ended his story with an extremely sheepish grin.

So, back to damming his over-eagerness again, apparently. It proved to get out of hand way too often.

They bid farewell close to the Boxing Club's training room, after he'd unsuccessfully tried to convince her of staying. She was headed home. Maybe her beloved neighbor Kumiko would cook something today, spare her the time to do so herself. Or she'd eat out. Get to know the places around here. Oh yes, eating out sounded really good about now; let herself be treated and not lift a finger.

She was just about to round a corner when she felt another presence sneak up on her. She spun around again, ready to send a kick in Ryohei's direction this time around for him to _test_—instead her foot met firm, firm muscle and ribs that gave way to her sudden attack instead of a hard as iron defense.

The victim stumbled back with a yelp. Fiona grimaced as he crashed into a nearby trash can and doubled over into the stinky blackness. Oh my. What did she do this time?

Whatever it was, Gokudera did it ten times worse.

"Are you alright?" she asked and cautiously approached the struggling butt. "I thought you were someone else—"

_"Now!" _came the hollow response from the trash can along with a wild flailing of arms.

She had but a split-second to react with surprise before the nearby bushes rustled and a bunch of guys jumped out with excitement written all over their faces and karate outfits hugging their bodies. "Do you have her?!"

"Yes, there she is!" Another replied.

That split-second later her arm got clasped firmly by a muscled fist. She followed the limb up, over the sharp shoulder, strong neck and finally stopped on the fierce face. Her mind worked just fast enough on the situation to have one name pop up in her head: _Ryohei._

The fierce face morphed into a demure look as he slid his arms upward to her shoulders and shook her awake from her state. "Fiona-chan!"

Her mind thrashed through the network of possibilities._ Ryohei. Unpredictable. Ryohei. Boxing. Ryohei. Karate. _Oh, for the love of...

"Yes...?"

The answer came in unison from half a dozen mouths: "Become our pretty manager!"

Silence.

_Ryohei, you **owe** me._

"No." Her deadpan expression apparently shell-shocked them thoroughly.

The trash can rumbled as the male finally won his struggle and escaped his prison. A banana peel lay casually entwined with his hair atop his head. Lovely. "You cannot say no, Fiona-chan!" He was by far the largest out of all. "We may have lost our chance at a flower-like manager once but you will have to join a club sooner or later! You can't be Student Council forever! Nobody can!"

To recap her situation: she was currently surrounded by seven trained karate middleschoolers that had never been on her list of potential dangers, had run for her life a mere minutes ago from a solitary predator and had challenged a beast in the beginning to defend her womanly honor. She was tired, hungry, _still _needed a coffee and at least that massage but also had to talk to the principal about two new desks possibly made of metal and make sure the infirmary is stocked up on more medicine after their newest four _friendly_ arrivals.

Whether they noticed her eyes harden as a premonition of danger she would probably never know. "Which one of you is in my class?"

A chirpy voice raised his hand in response. "Me!" he declared solemnly. "I overheard your conversation with Sasagawa earlier. You two had a serious fight about it, too! I had to tell my fellow brothers!" He spun around with a grin. "She clearly favors the Karate Club over the brutes in Boxing."

And the moral of this story? Don't ever challenge Sasagawa "The Beast" Ryohei. It all comes 'round to bite you in the ass.

The smile she offered him was all but friendly. "You do realize you're threatening the head of Student Council?" _I will hurt you so, so much_, she inwardly added between the lines. Reborn had nothing on them. Surely he wouldn't mind.

King Banana shook his head defiantly. "We're only offering you a proposal!" He leaned in close and her nose cried out at the smell. Too many sticky juices combining into something horrible. Her stress pile was constantly rising. "You can fight, you're pretty and you're dedicated! And because you're still part of the Student Council other girls will definitely join, too! And when you leave, they'll have to stay. So please, join our club!" He bowed his head low.

"Nope." This time the curt answer erected more commotion.

"Our master even bowed to you!"

"How can you refuse his humble request?!"

"You're truly an ogress!"

Whatever leftover mirth was still in her already unfriendly smile completely dissipated like a drop of water on desert ground. _Stalemate_, Alessio called it. The stage of utter destruction.

Fiona cracked her knuckles. Who are you calling an ogress? "I think it's best to stem the flow of rumors before they get out of hand, don't you agree? For example by _plucking the root_ and completely _crushing_ it." Nobody could say anything about breaking rules—she acted purely out of self-defense.

Maybe he sensed the danger. Like an Admiral the Banana yelled a simple but deafening order: "Catch her!"

_"Yeah!"_

Fiona crouched down low. "I don't think so."

"You're here again." The smooth voice cut like a knife through butter. Silver glinted in the setting sun, as hard metal pressed tightly across the neck of the leading instigator. The previously so pumped-up Karate Club members froze mid-step.

The large one gulped and eyed the tonfa warily. "H-Hibari-san."

His eyes looked just as dangerous as his weapons as he spoke. "I warned you last time not to crowd in front of me." A bloodthirsty gleam passed over his gaze. Battle-ready and unyielding. "Now I will bite you to death for not listening."

The fight was over quicker than she could look. One-sided, fast, effective.

Flawless.

As she stood amidst the piles of beaten bodies she could not help but whistle. He would definitely be an enrichment to the Vongola. The sound caught his attention and he walked over the bodies towards her position, tonfas dripping with blood. Fiona raised her hands. "They ganged up on me. Self-defense, I swear."

He didn't attack nor did he speak as he slid his tonfas in swift turns over the sleeve of her uniform. Red streaks soaked the fabric. He inspected the weapons in his hands, checking for more stains to wipe off but they were clean now, ready to draw new injuries. His actions spoke so many layered messages at once; supremacy aligned with a choking intimacy of calmness, strength displayed in the rawest of manners. She'd sailed out right into the maw of a shark.

She pocketed her hands into her skirt and met his gaze head-on, giving him a crooked smile. Her heart pumped with the challenge, disregarding the offense of taking her revenge away for a better stand against a greater foe. "So that's how you regulate your troublemakers, eh?"

Hibari gave her a dismissive look, not even bothering to answer. For a moment all was good and well, a temporary haven constructed in which she could linger without sinking. Her smile broadened as she was about to test the new limits, see how large a room she could make for herself, when...

"I CAN FEEL AN EXTREME FIGHTING SPIRIT AGAIN! I WILL FIGHT YOU FOR REAL NOW! WHERE ARE YOUUUUU?!"

Oh well. 'Twas but a moment.

Fiona looked over her shoulder as a half-naked boxer stomped out of the Club's building. Then looked back to the boy in front of her. Steadied herself. "Your troublemaker, not mine."

And ran off.

_Stage 3: Walk into the sunset like a badass._

* * *

**Evening**

* * *

Tsuna stood rooted to the spot in the doorway. "Um, Fiona-san... What are you doing here again?"

Fiona looked up from her meal and gulped down a mouthful, simultaneously accepting another hand-out from Bianchi before she answered. "Eating out."

"Oh." A pause. One. Two. Two point five. _"You're just freeloading!"_ he exclaimed incredulous.

"It's called survival of the fittest." She stuffed more rice into her mouth and fished some flesh off her plate to throw it in after.

Reborn smiled smugly across the table. "Vongola Style."

_Stage 4: Don't starve._

And then repeat.

* * *

**A/N: Or as my personal notes say: "Fight in class; fight with Hibari; fight with whatever leftovers; eat." I'm also starting to think Fiona might have _very_ low blood pressure.  
**

**Hope you enjoyed this installment and its little references—the Friendship Committee; the Karate Club's vain attempt No. 2! Also Ryohei, because he's plain awesome. As always: drop a review if you like. I certainly like reading them.  
**


	8. Infallible Informants

**I don't own ********_Katekyō Hitman Reborn!_****.**

**This is the last chapter before the Kokuyo Arc. Changed the rating of the story to T to be safe. Enjoy!  
**

* * *

** Target VIII: Infallible Informants**

* * *

Gut feeling told her that today would turn into something bad.

_"Fiona Benivieni..."_ the voice on the phone grumbled in Italian._ "You really wish to be on my bad side."_

Fiona generally trusted her gut feeling completely. "You're copying my line, Alessio," she retorted and rolled her eyes.

_"While you're a maniac most of the time, occasionally something good does come out of your mouth. I repeat: You don't want to be on my bad side. Can you not sense the severity of these words?"_

Even the blind could, with the way his voice rasped in badly restrained, impatient annoyance. That's what made her stomach churn and twist in grim premonition after all.

To be fair, he had a point. It would probably mean nothing less than certain impending doom on her future career if the master forger refused to work with her and severed all ties as the cherry on top. He was one of the few contacts she had left willing to work with her. He was _also_ the only one currently able to get a hold on her favorite brand of sunglasses in case one of hers broke.

Difficult.

_Really_ difficult.

_"Snap out of your fantasizing, this is work we're talking about," _he oh-so-nicely interrupted as if he's the one not getting an ounce of sleep over this matter. Not like it's 5 A.M. on the eastern side of the planet and she's supposed to be up and running in a couple hours for something as mundane as school._ **I'm** supposed to be annoyed, not you!_

_"And please stop insulting me over the silence."_

He knew her too well.

Fiona sighed and stretched her legs over the black leather couch. She should've never learned under his tutelage. It always came back to bite her in the ass. "Don't you have somebody else to send over? As far as I know half the Mafia is more than willing to jump at the chance of speaking to him."

_"All but you, as always."_ She curled her bare toes. Goosebumps traveled down her legs. Opposite to half the Mafia she also had her reasons not to.

It was Alessio's turn to sigh in defeat, impatience swapping places with the slightest tinge of worry. _"He's on the run **again.** If he hasn't got a mission then only you can track him down long enough to get me the ranking I need. And bring him back in one piece possibly. Nono really likes him best in one piece, capito?"_

She withstood the urge to make a face. He cared for him; of course he would. But there was no denying he was out to get her back on track of doing his workload again. Just like old times. The boy had always been her responsibility. "He's going to the future Tenth."

Alessio didn't waste much time._ "Why? How can you know for sure?"_

She picked up one of the papers strewn about on the table between couch and TV. A gibberish of words and numbers was scribbled all over the page, one of its corners marked in a bright orange. "Fuuta only ever goes to those he deems safe. Someone who wouldn't betray him. Tsuna is the perfect candidate." She leaned back into the couch, paper fluttering between her fingers. "Job done."

A brief silence followed her statement. The quiet scribble of a pen on the other end of the phone told her he wrote the new piece of information down. He knew her work was spot-on, no need to double-check. But if it were only ever that easy with him... _"Leaves my ranking job still open to do," _he started anew. There it is.

"Like hell I will."

_"I'm expecting him—"_

"No. I'm not going near that kid." Why sound that pompous? His patterns are too easy to read: he's too smug.

_"—you can just seal the information as usual—"_

"I can say 'no' in quite a number of languages." He had a joker. Damnit. What does he have up his sleeve this time?

_"—also Chiavarone will appreciate your help, they've—"_

"Yeah, yeah, say hello to Dino for me. I'm hanging up, you know."

_"—and that new summer collection you've set your eyes on. I know you can't pass it up."_

Fiona froze with her finger hovering over the red button. "N-No!" she gasped.

_"Thank you for the good work as always and welcome back to business, Fisher."_ He hung up with a smug tone.

The day had barely started and it was rock bottom already.

* * *

"Tsuna, it's coming!" The small boy gulped, gathering up all his courage as the soccer ball homed in on him, closer and closer...!

It hit him straight in the face.

Sighs and mutters erupted from the first-years playing on the school grounds during P.E. "He couldn't even get a pass like that," or "He's Dame-Tsuna after all." Tsuna felt his cheek flare up, not only from the nosebleed that started trickling down his lips.

"Juudaime, are you ok?!" Gokudera yelled over the chatter, half-way across the court to help him up.

Tsuna quickly scrabbled to his feet. "I... I'm fine!" _Just brush it off. Like always, haha. _"I'll go grab the ball, you guys keep playing with another one." He jogged away before anyone even answered.

After a minute of crawling through the bushes (hoping that P.E. would end sooner that way and his nose would stop hurting) he eventually found the ball by the paving and school building.

It also hovered in the air.

Tsuna blinked. "Eh?" He looked past the ball to a small boy mumbling incoherently to himself, thin scarf and bright brown hair moving softly like waves up against gravity and the leaves around him started floating as well—

Wait a moment. Things_ floated?_

"**_What—!?_**"

"Tsuna-nii's sprinting ability is ranked 86,202 out of 86,202 people. Running ability is ranked 85,900 out 86,202 people. Stamina is ranked 86,182 out of 86,202 people."

Tsuna just stared dead ahead. _What am I seeing? And who is this kid?_

The boy simply continued speaking with a glazed look to his eyes. "Tsuna-nii's ranking in overall abilities is... last place." The world stopped being stupid and his hair fell back in place as he closed his lids for a second. The soccer ball landed with a bouncing thud, rolling to a halt by his feet. He rummaged through his jacket, still talking more to himself than the involuntary onlooker. "I haven't seen him in half a year, but his rankings haven't changed at all. Well, I'll write them down anyway."

Tsuna pinched his nose. _Is there something wrong with my eyes? There's got to be—  
_

The boy pulled out a giant book from his too tiny pocket. _So big!_

And just like that the kid knelt down, flipped the book open and wrote his "rankings" down in quick strokes. Tsuna stood on his toes. He'd never get behind this mystery if he didn't start moving. It wasn't Japanese whatever he was writing down. "Um...?" The boy's head snapped up. Tsuna almost jumped out of his skin from the sudden eye contact. What was he thinking, what was he thinking—?!

The boy stormed over and took his hand, shaking it eagerly as words bubbled out of him like a waterfall. "Yay! I finally get to meet you! I thought I was being lenient since you were having P.E.!"_  
_

He stopped in his shaking briefly. "I... I've been calling you Tsuna-nii! Can I keep calling you that?" he suddenly asked in a timid fashion, big brown eyes like a doe's.

"What?" Tsuna asked back dumbfounded. He couldn't keep up. Hell, he should have given up on doing so the moment the ball started hovering! What did he think, moving to solve the mystery. He should've just inched away into the safety of reality.

Continuing on with his one-man show, the kid looked over Tsuna's shoulder—they weren't all that different in height although he looked much younger—, gasped, and ran off with the book tucked tight under his arm and a squeaky "Bye!" in his direction.

A stampede of feet suddenly made the earth tremble and three guys in pinstriped suits dashed past Tsuna, after the boy in hot pursuit. What are those people doing...?

He knelt down next to the soccer ball, waving over it. No strings. Then how...?

Eeeeeh?

* * *

"That stupid jerk," she muttered behind her handkerchief as she stalked down the corridors. She'd been thrown out of Hibari's office _again_, another one of her hiding spots by the shelf and plant pot busted. Emergency-offering the prefect a deal to shut her trap around him for _a whole week_ also didn't work—next time the other way 'round maybe. First the offer, then tucking herself away. Her thoughts were a _mess_.

Yes, Fiona was that desperate. If there is one most-secure place at school—hell, the whole city!—it had to be Hibari's office. Nobody dared to enter out of fear hence nobody bothered and bombarded the place with some sort of stupid plea (like she regularly did). It was the perfect hiding spot for as long as that kid was around, to plan out her next course of action without constantly looking over her shoulder in worry he might appear out of thin air. The kid did that often. A little pro in it, really.

Ranking Fuuta is in town. _Already._

And that is _not_ good news at all.

The students stared as she entered class, all sunglasses, french-braided hair, handkerchief hiding half her face and predatory grumble in the back of her throat ready to lunge at any nuisance. Fiona slumped into her seat in the fourth row. As if being on the receiving end of Reborn's shenanigans wasn't enough, now she had pressure from Italy to deal with alongside the usual daily fun with the prefect. Fiona tried to convince herself she needn't do this. But the reward...

She really shouldn't have looked it up on the internet. That luscious new brand still walking the Mafia catwalk and not yet available on the markets; curved lines and dark reflections with prototype technology imbued to shield her eyes from both ultraviolet rays and conventional bullets—she _could not_ let it slip through her fingers. That stupid forger and his unbelievably convenient contacts...

_Gonna strangle him next time we meet in person,_ she thought grimly. Her fantasy did a good job of that in the meantime. All the while her fingers twitched, eager to get a hold of those brand-new items—

"BENNY!" Her shoulders tensed and her fist jerked up only to meet an iron defense. As if she wasn't on edge enough already; one day her instinctive response would break some part of his anatomy. At least it wasn't Yamamoto or somebody similar from the first-years. That'd lead to Tsuna being nearby and she _really_ didn't want to be near him right now. Stupid kid informant—

Focus, goddamnit.

She straightened her back elegantly. "What do you need—_oof!_"

Ryohei simply beamed while she gently stroked her left arm where he'd so leisurely punched her in greeting. "What are you doing? You look extremely funny today!"

"More like a horrible robber," Mouse said in passing before he threw his backpack onto his desk.

"Good morning to you, too," Fiona answered. She wasn't in the best of all moods to jest. "Where's Arata? You guys are usually glued together by the hips."

He sighed in defeat and gave her an exhausted (puppy-eyed) look (of course all involuntary, because he isn't cute. He claims.) "I'm just heading back to drag him up. Had to get some bandages from the infirmary first." He fished the white cloth out of his pant pocket. "He crashed into the schoolyard's tree in one of his fits."

Glory to the poor headmaster. And her constant visits to him. "The numbers are adding up again..."

Mouse shrug his shoulders as he went off, heading towards the door. "You wanted the job. Do it."

Fiona froze.

_"You don't have to do this, you know." He says it in a indifferent manner; no worry, no anger, without pretence. It's just a simple fact._

_Fiona sighs, staring at the dark ceiling. "It's the only way."_

_His chuckle reverberates through the quiet. "Part of the job description, eh?" His hand finds hers, squeezing her fingers almost desperately hard._

_She smiles despite the severity of the situation. "Exactly."_

With a heavy shove the memories disappear in the back of her mind again. It takes her another moment to calm her beating heart, breathing in before breathing out. She had to concentrate on the present but Mouse's words struck several vulnerable chords. And they echoed like the faraway chuckle back then.

She was born Mafia but she chose both her standing and her actions on her own. Her lips curled into a tiny smile. Occasionally these kids were wiser than their age let on, even if it's just accidentally so.

She liked her stress anyway. So, what to do about that job...

"Hey, Ryohei. Wanna pay off your table debts?"

* * *

"I'm home!" Tsuna called into the house as he entered and headed straight for his room.

Just as he opened the door, he was instantly greeted by Fuuta. "Welcome back, Tsuna-nii." Reborn followed with a casual "Ciaossu."

Tsuna's hand twitched. All his muscles wished was to turn around, close the door and leave the house quietly before anyone noticed. Maybe in a couple of hours that kid wouldn't be here any longer. Yeah. That'd be very relaxing...

Fuuta looked up at him with a concerned face. "What's the matter? You don't seem well."

He felt as if struck by lightning. _You're the matter! You showed up everywhere I went! _Startling him during cleaning the classroom that the flower-pot slipped out of his hands and crashed into the floor, catching him off guard during P.E. (again), and even showing up when he got reprimanded by the teacher for said pot—it had been his favorite—the Italian visitor waited right alongside him in the corridor.

Does he have a grudge against him?!

"But I wanted to stay by your side, Tsuna-nii." His voice wavered, ever so slightly breaking. If he started crying now...! What should he do?!

"Ever since he saw you in Dying Will Mode mode," Reborn quipped in, "he's taken quite a liking to you."

"Eh? Seriously?!"

Fuuta smiled unperturbed. "Hey, Tsuna-nii! Do you need help with anything?"

The answer shot out of his frustrated soul instantly. "I don't need anything! Just don't come to school anymore!"

Big, doe-eyes stared deep into his soul with all the innocence only a child could muster. Tsuna felt his resolve weaken. _I've been favored by a really troublesome kid..._

A voice startled him out of his thoughts and back into reality. "Yo, Tsuna!" Wait, he knew that voice. Tsuna turned around and spluttered as he saw his room filled to the brim with nothing than less than _a dozen Mafiosi in black suits! HIIIEE!  
_

Somebody please spare his soul from this mess. He felt it escaping his grasp quicker than ever again.

A tall person squeezed his way through the dangerous-looking crowd; tousled blond hair contrasting with the gruff rest and a dark-green jacket against the black suits stood out, easy to spot. It didn't take him long to identify the person when it halted in front of him, a friendly smile in greeting as he casually asked: "How have you been?"

"Dino-san!" Tsuna exclaimed both surprised and happy. What was he doing here all of a sudden again?

The question was answered almost instantly as Dino looked down at Fuuta, hand by his chin while he inspected him from head to toe. "Hmm, there's no mistaking it! This is the real Ranking Fuuta, all right. It's rare to come by this_ le petite prince_ no matter how hard you're trying to find him."

"Hello, Bucking Horse Dino," Fuuta merrily greeted back.

Dino's grin widened all across his face. "Nice to meet you." He elbowed Tsuna right as he said that. "It's quite a feat to have earned his trust, Tsuna." Said boy felt a proud blush color his cheeks. R-Really? It didn't seem all that difficult, looking back at the events leading up to him occupying his room. Things kind of went hand in hand.

Then the young Mafia boss did something unexpectedly. His grin dropped and brown eyes turned serious. Tsuna was reminded of Fiona, back when she'd somehow convinced Gokudera of accepting her; a flash of the same action happening to her as she'd shown a side you usually don't see. Tsuna gulped, turning his attention to the conversation.

"Let's get right down to business. There's a reason to why I came today." Dino took a quick inhale. "Fuuta. I'd like to purchase the ranking of a certain Mafia family. Lately in our area, a family called the Gospella has been passing firearms to hoodlums and bringing harm to civilians." His eyes turned hard for a moment, unforgiving. "We can't let them get away with it. I want a list of their most influential weapon dealers. Can it be done?"

_S-So business-like! Dino-san is so cool and composed when he wants to! _One of the Chiavarone men stepped up with a briefcase. "And of course, we have money." The man clicked the briefcase open and Tsuna's jaw dropped as the smell of freshly printed money filled the room. He'd never seen so much money in his life! It was filled to the brim with neatly bundled bills.

Fuuta regarded the money with a brief look before offering one of his childish, innocent smiles again. "That won't be necessary." Eh? "Dino ranks Number 1 out of 82,263 when it comes to Mafia members who care for the welfare of civilians. I like that kind of boss." Somewhere along the line he'd picked up his big book to read out of. "Besides, Dino-nii who is Tsuna-nii's sworn brother is also my brother, right?"

To say that Tsuna was baffled is an understatement. What is it with the sudden changes in attitude to all of these people? They display such a serious appearance so easily when they're usually only goofy and joking around. Or, you know, stalking him all over school the whole day.

Dino unfroze from his surprise first, grinning like a child himself now, back to his usual self in the blink of an eye. "I'm glad to have such a nice little bro. Thanks a lot, Fuuta, Tsuna." The youngest boy scribbled down some rankings on a loose paper before handing the copied rankings over to Dino.

"And say hello to Fiona-nee from me."

Dino blinked in confusion. "How did you...?"

Fuuta chuckled. "Fiona-nee keeps my existence a secret. Therefore only _La Pescatrice_ could choose who finds me this quickly. Even if she doesn't like me all that much, she's still watching over me."

Tsuna frowned as the Chiavarone family left his house to wrap up the business they'd come here for. He opened his mouth to ask what Fuuta had meant by that but one look at the small boy made him shut up before even uttering a sound. Fuuta absent-mindedly flipped through the pages of his book, occasionally stopping at certain rankings with a sad smile ghosting over his lips.

* * *

**The Following Day**

* * *

It was quiet. One of the reasons he enjoyed spending his time in the Reception Room or on the rooftop. The perfect view over the school grounds was another. Everything was in order and if not, he'd make sure it was. That is how things went.

Hibari frowned despite the tranquility. Things _were_ out of the ordinary. And he didn't like it one bit.

His office felt as empty as it looked; no suspicious presence tugging at the back of his mind. She was remarkably quiet and it was only due his honed instincts he eventually located her cowering in some random corner of the reception room in another hiding spot of hers. But he hadn't felt anything _particularly_ out of order for the whole school day after she'd pestered him so fiercely the day before. Instead of calming and relaxing him, it placed him on edge.

That herbivore did not go by unnoticed. Ever.

Her flashy foreign appearance cranked up whispers between the male students and her close contact to that Sawada boy and his friends usually ended up with some sort of fight one way or the other that the Disciplinary Committee members had to subdue. They'd usually bring her in for nothing more than a petty punishment. She always managed to stay within the rules no matter what she did. Truly a walking nuisance with that witty tongue of hers. Why he bothered with it instead of throwing her out, he was sometimes very uncertain.

So when she didn't show up at any given moment and the school bell rang for classes over, he was more than just suspicious. Her _behavior_ was out of the ordinary. And he didn't like it _one little bit._

Knuckles rapping on the door caught his attention. "Come in." A brief silence followed in which no wood nor presence moved from behind the door. He cocked his head to the side. That's when he noticed—

_Knock knock knock._

—it came from the _windows._

Slowly he turned around, blood already speeding up in his veins with anticipation. The sun shining into her back colored strands of that long, braided hair brighter; thin wires of fire licking up until they met the hairline of the female dangling dangerously low by his windows with a similarly dangerous and wicked grin splitting her lips apart.

They were on eye height. Green danced mischievously. "Miss me yet?" she mouthed from behind the glass, trouble palpable in its making.

His hands slid over the familiar cool of his tonfas. She laughed as she let go and fell.

He could do with a fight.

* * *

Fiona twisted her body hard, landing in a vacant classroom one store below the Reception Room. She rolled over quiet and fast, ducking behind the windowsill when the head prefect's dark shadow sailed down into the yard. Ryohei didn't have to wait for her thumbs-up, preparing for the chase within sighting the head prefect. Not a moment too early as the dark jacket followed, hard on his heel.

A chuckle escaped her lips. Concealment. That is her forte.

Well, onto the real fun then.

* * *

"I'm home—this is getting ridiculous," Tsuna lamely finished.

Fuuta blinked owlishly at him, grocery bag in both his hands. "What is, Tsuna-nii?"

_Maybe the fact that you're able to communicate with outer space?! _After Dino and his men had left he'd literally been bombarded with new visitors in their stead: Haru, Gokudera, Yamamoto, Lambo and I-pin, Bianchi even, in the most horrid fashion she could muster up. The memories of Gokudera's false ranking due to the rain had haunted him in his dreams the very same night.

But right now he succumbed to only drawing a hand over his face. "You're already settling in, too..."

His mother peeked through the door frame. "Don't pick on Fuuta! He's such a helpful young boy." She took the grocery bag from him and ruffled his hair. "Thank you."

Fuuta smiled happily. "No problem, Mama."

Again. What is it with these Italians instantaneously calling _his _mother "mom"?! What sort of impolite country did these guys hail from?! Maybe it's the fact that all of them were part of the Mafia, no matter how hard to believe with their appearances: Dino as handsome as young men can get, Fiona meticulously picky with her looks and Fuuta unbelievably cute to the point of breaking your heart with a single glance. At least Dino had some tattoos to speak of for a rougher origin.

As if some greater entity had heard his thoughts somebody knocked repeatedly on the door; pounding at it, really. Tsuna groaned, signing his death wish tiredly as he reached for the handle. "Who is it now—" He opened the door.

A flurry of caramel hair and sunglasses ran him over.

Together they rolled over the wooden hall until they crashed into the stairs that stars danced in front of his vision. Ugh. Why always him? Couldn't he just have a normal, simple life?

His eyes trailed over the hair splattered across his face. He hadn't seen her around for a while, come to think of it. She'd usually pop out of nowhere to startle him or annoy Gokudera. Usually one went to the other anyway.

When she didn't attempt to get up, he cleared his throat. "F-Fiona-san...?" The rest of the sentence got stuck in his throat as he frantically tried not to hyperventilate upon the shadow he saw appearing in the doorway. "H-H-H-H—!"_ Nonononono!_

The tonfas gleamed dangerously as he flicked them battle-ready. "Dead end, herbivore."

_Fiona-san, what did you dooooo?!_

She was too heavy for him to move! Why was she knocked unconscious at a crucial time like this! "Fiona-san, youhavetogetoutofhere—" the words just spluttered out of him. He wasn't sure whether he actually said them out of concern for her or for _himself. _She could handle Hibari while Tsuna clearly couldn't! And if he attacked Tsuna would be right in the line of fire! "Reborn!" he yelled.

The baby hitman made himself comfortable on the banister next to him. "It's your home. Defend it."

Fuuta's eyes burned with admiration as he raised his arms. "Go, Tsuna-nii!" he cheered.

_What am I supposed to do against that monster?!_

And as if things weren't dire enough, he heard the faint click of a metallic mechanism and soon after the room was swallowed in black smoke.

Everything turned pitch-black. His lungs started to burn when he tried to breathe and the smoke clawed its way down his throat with each attempt. Tsuna's mind went nuts instantly. "I can't see! I'm blind! I'm going to die! Please don't attack me—_urgh!_" He choked on his own cough when somebody kicked him in the back.

"Stop panicking, Dame-Tsuna," Reborn chided as he landed nimbly back on the banister, collar pulled over his mouth in a makeshift protection against the thick smoke.

Tsuna's eyes started to tear up in the biting smoke. It completely incapacitated his senses. "Stop panicking?! This is an assault!" he screeched out before another cough shook his body.

"No, it's not. Leon," Reborn commanded calmly and the lizard appeared to nod before it started to glow and transform into a green fan. As soon as it sprung to life, the smoke started to dissipate, heavy wafts of air blowing it into thin strips before it completely disappeared from the hallway. Tsuna sighed in relief. His lungs stopped burning and he started to breathe normally once more.

Then he got a hold of himself. "What was that?" he asked incredulous in the baby's direction.

"Smoke grenade," was the curt answer. Tsuna deadpanned. _I know that much! _"We've been outsmarted." Tsuna blinked perplexed. What did he...? Reborn nodded towards the floor. Tsuna's eyes widened in panic.

"Fuuta!"

The boy lay strewn across the wood, eyes closed. Upon Tsuna's yell his lids fluttered open weakly. Tsuna quickly hurried over to the younger child. "Fuuta, are you alright?!"

Fuuta coughed weakly before nodding and got up on shaky arms. "I'm fine, Tsuna-nii. I—" He jolted upright suddenly, his hands patting his sweater up and down. "My Ranking Book!"

Tsuna's heart fell. Oh no. At such a time! Who could've—?

A tiny chuckle ripped him from his thoughts. "She really works best when placed under enough pressure." Tsuna turned to looked over his shoulder and saw the baby standing next to another body. One he'd completely forgotten over the course of whatever had just happened: Fiona!

He quickly crawled over to her messed up form; the hair loose and splayed out in all directions. She didn't move upon his approaching. "Reborn! What do you mean? Will she be alright?"

The baby hitman didn't answer, simply kicked the bundle of hair harsh and merciless in its side. Tsuna's heart missed a beat—how cruel! But then he frowned. As the strands came to a halt and revealed the unmoving female's face, sunglasses dangling just on the tip of her nose, he couldn't believe the sight before his eyes.

Reborn gave them a mysterious smile as he picked up a note from the ground. "_'You should be more careful.'_ Fiona—no, The Fisher—tricked us."

What he once thought was Fiona was in reality only a wooden puppet.

His mind needed a few seconds to process the information before he reacted as quickly as the thoughts formed themselves. "Why?" He spun around. The door to the house was open but nobody stood in its frame any longer. "Where did Hibari-san go?" He turned full circle to the wooden puppet with the wig and sunglasses, the school uniform and bag. The bag was stained black. There wasn't even a need to zip it open to search for the book there—it was already open to begin with. Blackened plastic littered its insides. "Did Fiona steal Fuuta's Ranking Book?" he whispered as he came to his own conclusion. It was too surreal to be true.

"Of course not!" Fuuta exclaimed defiantly, his expression determined. "She's probably just looking up a ranking," he mumbled in addition.

"And why couldn't she ask like Dino-san did?" Something just wasn't adding up. Fiona had been behaving strangely, avoided the first-years with smooth excuses. He looked back and forth between the baby and Fuuta. "What's going on?"

Fuuta bit his lower lip. "Not everyone likes the rankings I give." Before Tsuna could retort, Reborn interrupted him.

"The book is here." With another well-placed kick he rolled the puppet on its back, revealing the enormous book beneath it. It had survived the blast without a scratch. Fuuta let out a relieved laugh before he flipped through the pages. "I guess she had to hurry when Leon started cleaning up." The lizard curled itself around the fedora in response. "Pretty good disguise, going in as Hibari."

"Wait, Fiona is Hibari?!"

Leon hit him with his tail, leaving a red streak across Tsuna's face. Tsuna winced in pain. "She _disguised_ as him, idiot."

Now he just felt stupid. "Can somebody please tell me what's going on?!"

"You still haven't grasped it, Dame-Tsuna?" Reborn placed the note in Fuuta's hands. The blonde boy observed it intently, fingers gently caressing the paper before propping up his book to show them a ripped-off page—replaced by a sealed letter where the page once had been. The wax seal was of royal blue color, deep and rich, an intricate pattern following its edges. But clearly visible, in the middle of the seal, a small boat with a fish arching over it, taking over the place of the boat's sails.

Reborn gave the signet a long stare. "Mafia records say she's a psychological mastermind. Nobody manages to lie in her presence because she can tell truth and lie apart simply from the way you move." Tsuna gulped. That sounds like a scary ability to have. Or rather: to encounter. "Fiona is among the best informants in the business if you want fast, reliable information—but I've yet to meet someone who can beat her when it comes to _concealing_ information."

"Davy Jones' Locker," Tsuna stretched the words out timidly, remembering the strange conversation she and Gokudera had once. Reborn nodded.

"Yes. She has a knack for naming things related to the sea. Sending something to Davy Jones' Locker is the best and most expensive service in the Mafia you can get if you want information to disappear from the surface of the earth _forever_."

Fuuta chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. "That's why it's not so easy to meet me. My rankings are a well-kept secret." Tsuna blinked, understanding trickling in. That's why he knew Dino-san had gotten his information from her. And that's how she managed to completely fool them with little more than a wooden puppet. She was_ good_ at fooling people.

Reborn pointed back to the sealed letter. "A bit sloppy but it did it's job to get the message across. After two years, The Fisher is officially reinstated now."

To say that all this information didn't go way over his head was an understatement. It felt a little clearer but at the same time he felt like there was so much more left in the dark. He decided he'd have to wait and find out because asking Reborn was like talking to a brick wall.

Meanwhile Fuuta grinned that his lips threatened to rip his face in two. "_La Pescatrice_. She was here, after all this time." His eyes brimmed with life and although Tsuna didn't quite grasp it yet, he was glad to see him smiling instead of giving in to sadness. It was contagious. "Fiona-nee was actually here!" he laughed. What a weird people. Why would someone go through so much trouble for such a small feat? Why not talk directly to him?

Wait. What ever happened to the real Hibari then?

* * *

"Dead end, herbivore."

Her hair swayed left and right as she looked up and down the wall blocking her escape. A scenario happening more often than he could count, each time a little quicker, the faster he caught up to her. And each time her fight to escape his clutch were drawn out longer, one more blow she had to aim at him before she slipped away like the sly fox she could be. It had been like this since the day and partial start of a fight on the rooftops.

She didn't contest his superiority—one of the rare wise decisions she chose to uphold. But he wasn't one to say no to a free fight. Until she started to bore him. Then he'd bite her to death and be done with it.

She turned her head only slightly towards him, sunglasses catching the sun off of one corner, glinting. The ochre coat rustled with the movement. He cocked his head to the side, mustering her rigid form from head to toe. Something was off, now that she stood still for the first time. Her lips were sealed shut. "Not going to talk your way out of—"

She was quick to move. He was quicker.

He'd anticipated her dash, using the wall as leverage to propel her body past his. But instead of slipping by once more, she crashed into his waiting outstretched arm, choking as her lungs gave in under the sudden pressure. He took the opening as she stumbled, closing in on his target with full force.

Hibari froze mid-step. The sunglasses had managed to slip off her nose.

Gray eyes. Those were _gray_ eyes looking back up at him. "You..." he snarled.

Beneath the coat, bandaged arms slowly raised up in defense, tugging at the blond hair until it gave way to more gray, toothy grin beaming at him from the distinctively _male_ face. "I was found out to the extreme!"

* * *

**Evening**

* * *

Dark creamy foam clung the spoon as it made its lazy circles around the porcelain cup. The smell of coffee beans permeated the air. Fiona leaned back and enjoyed the moment of bliss the soothing smell brought to her nostrils.

"Your coffees are getting stronger with every time I see you," a male voice disrupted the silence. She heard the chair scrape over the ground as he moved to sit. His knees brushed hers beneath the table.

Fiona smiled but didn't move from her position. "It's still an Espresso. I haven't reached a regular Ristretto intake yet." One eyelid fluttered open and she nodded towards her counterpart's drink. "_Cappuccino con panna, come al solito._"

He placed the cup to his lips and took a sip, sighing in content. His tongue darted out to lick up some of the remaining cream. "Not bad. Much appreciated after the long flight. You really couldn't send it over?"

"A taste of home at least, you ungrateful bastard. I thought you said you were in a hurry."

He gave her shin a slight nudge with his shoe. "Now you're just ruining the lovely atmosphere."

She withdrew from her comfortable position and sat up, back straight. Then she leaned forward and propped her head up on a palm. "We don't do lovely. Especially the two of us."

Alessio pursed his lips, one finger tapping away at the porcelain as he held her gaze. "True. Last time we went to a café, we sent it into financial ruin afterward."

Fiona laughed full-on. "It's good to see you. Talking to a voice is only half as fun. Even if you do sound as sexy as always." His dark hair looked freshly cut but he kept true to his close-cropped hairstyle. _Only way to tame my curls, _he'd once said. _Cut them all off._

His cup found hers in a quick toast. "Glad to see my charming presence is still being cherished." Still, she spotted a streak of gray by his temples that she couldn't remember being there before. Despite that tiny blemish, his looks were still prim and proper, neatly shaved and looking as comfortable and presentable in his black suit and tie as always. He seized her form up and down just as much. "Don't look half bad yourself."

"I have a sense of foreboding when you talk like that." Probably best to take a large sip as long as she still could.

Brown eyes hardened almost instantly. She cringed inwardly. There we go. "The amount of paperwork I had to go through after you disappeared was _nightmarish_. Couldn't you just die instead of going into stand-by, near-exiled? Also the number of attacks on me were ridiculous. As were the leaks. I know you had your fingers in that pie for sure."

That's her Alessio, all right. Quick-thinking, ever working and a heartlessly scrutinizing forger. With any luck he wouldn't bring up—

"Don't think I'll just forget about the Philippine pirate ship incident. I keep especially detailed count on that."

Damnit. He knew her too well.

She gave him her best attempt at an uncaring smile. "Let's just get down to business, aye?" With one fluent move she pulled an envelope from her blazer and slid it over the table; her signet pressed into the wax to seal it close. "Return the original to him when you find the time. I was in a hurry to acquire it."

"Not your smoothest run, hm?" Alessio briefly inspected the seal before tucking it away behind the safety of his own suit. "Nevertheless, Reborn was impressed on how you dodged little Fuuta."

"That baby is surprisingly quick to report," she muttered into her espresso. "Vongola got the news, too?"

He nodded. "It wasn't difficult to guess whom you were working for in this case. We're inseperatable. I'm already being spammed with questions. But it definitely left its ripples, your reinstatement." He gave her a meaningful look and she nodded. They were almost there, at that place from two years ago.

He didn't know the full extent, how important it was to her. One day he'd find out. Fiona lowered her eyes to stare at her blurry, coffee-darkened reflection.

She might even live to be scolded for it.

"Still—disguising as some dangerous delinquent or something? Apparently you fooled them well enough."

A warm chuckle escaped her throat. Focus. "I can act out that delinquent's antics in my sleep by now. I just had to distract him long enough to get a hold of his uniform since my resources were limited." Hibari kept at least one spare uniform in the Reception Room, most of the times two full sets. Considering the dirty line of work he often frequented, a wise thing to do indeed. Ryohei would survive the encounter, she was sure of that. And damn did he look good in make-up. She'd vote him for drag queen anytime. "A delayed-action smoke grenade did the rest."

"Which you conveniently keep lying around."

"You know how much I love my drama assets."

Alessio shook his head. "All that just to avoid meeting him in person?" Her old friend and tutor left it at that, seeing as he couldn't get her to talk on the topic for years. Instead he pulled out a slim package and held it out to her. "Well, you did the job. Don't drool too much. They're very delicate."

Her fingers carefully grasped the item. With a similar care she slid it into her bag, nestling it neatly and safe beneath the red band of the head prefect's jacket. Looking good. "Only one pair?" she asked, greedily licking her lips.

"Who's the ungrateful brat now?"

* * *

**A/N: **

**Some dark foreshadowing before we kick off the Kokuyo Arc. I did say 'fun stuff before we delve deeper'. Or something along those lines. On a funny note: Fuuta is one hell of a fun character to write. You only notice how much he talks when you write him in action. He's truly a one-man show. Apparently all informants have a knack for that sorta thing.  
**

**Translations:**

_La Pescatrice _**— (The) Fisher; female variant of the title. (**_Il Pescatore_** would be male)  
**

_Cappuccino con panna _**—** **Cappuccino with whipped cream (instead of frothed milk)**

* * *

**Extended Cut**

* * *

It was the middle of the night when she snuck into the Reception Room, courtesy to owning all the school's keys. The stillness of the room and the way the moonlight shone inside was as eerie as it was comforting—it was just her and her thoughts, bare to explore under nobody's care but hers. A tiny chuckle escaped her lips. Hard to believe she'd done the switch with the boxer just a few hours ago.

_"Fiona-nee's ability to read behavioral patterns is rank 1 among 86,202 in the Mafia."_

_A whooping whistle. "Shit, that's terrifying."_

_"She's the worst with numbers among the 196 informants, though."_

_"Just giving Johnny some slack," she answers cheeky in turn._

_A carefree laugh._

Her bag with the uniform she'd wanted to return lay forgotten on the couch as she approached the windows. The dark night sky was dotted with white spots; tiny, glowing stars and the half-moon peeking past a solitary cloud passing by.

_She ranks 1479 among 3,989 unarmed short-range fighters._

_Brown eyes lock with green. "Now you just suck. I'm losing respect here."_

_"Shut up!"_

_Wonder where I'm ranked in now, _she silently mused. He'd been a little younger back then but still—Fuuta's ability had always been astounding. Nobody could resist curiosity's pull to ask him a question or two. Fiona had practically riddled him with holes. You do that when you're fifteen and in the Mafia. And he'd grinned and laughed, tiny chest swelling with pride and joy. Always clutching to _his_ legs—

The memories burst through the surface, staccato snippets of that one night before life went to hell, before people died around her, under her orders, her _plan._

_"Don't be ridiculous!"_

_"Retreat! The ceiling is giving in—"_

_"This is not what glory is meant to be like, Fisher."_

Fiona clenched her eyes shut, shushing her fluttering heart. It was never supposed to go that way.

_In the twilight of the night the quiet bore a close resemblance to peace. __"You don't have to do this, you know." He says it in a indifferent manner; no worry, no anger, without pretence. It's just a simple fact stated in a troublesome time.  
_

_Fiona sighs, staring at the dark ceiling, dust dancing in the pale light of the moon. Peace. "It's the only way."_

Alessio would never know the true extent of her reasons as to why she avoided the little prince. It's all too closely entwined for her to be able to tell. She couldn't, yet. Thus she shoved away the uneccessary thoughts banging at their cages, begging to be released. It's easy to shut off the memories, to cloak them over with peace and quiet; second nature to someone who takes pride in concealing her every expression even if it meant damnation.

Simply shove the heavy treasure chest back into the sea, drowning it on the bottom that only myths managed to guard its secrets. But still, the difficult part of it was to never quite forget what exactly she'd shoved away for later. She'd nailed that down some time ago.

_He_'d been with her when they'd asked Fuuta that stupid question. _He_'d been the only one to ever know.

_It's supposed to be a joke. Only a light-hearted question when they'd run out of others. She shakes her head but there's a shiver running down her spine. She shouldn't believe the kid but something in her gut tells her to keep her distance, to run away. There's something wrong with knowing. _

_She shouldn't. _

_She musn't.  
_

_"You know too much."_

**_Peng._**

Fiona left no trace of her presence as she exited the room again. Come morning, nobody would notice anything amiss. The knowledge of her moon-lit existence was sent to Davy Jones' Locker once more, along with a set of memories long untouched.

"Focus," she muttered to herself and her heartrate slowed, unsuspecting in its own traitorous behavior.


	9. Raid

**I don't own ********_Katekyō Hitman Reborn!_****.**

* * *

** Target IX: Raid**

* * *

The impact was harsh and painful, skin tearing and oozing blood where he slid over the concrete. For a moment he lost all sense of direction, stars and pain sparking in turns as he spit out blood. His jaw cracked, felt loose. Dislocated.

"Well, well, well, the prefects aren't that scary after all!"

Only the strongest could become prefects and usually he took pride in the fact that he'd managed to get into their ranks. But right now fear crept up on him, body trembling and shivering under the bristling aura of careless _murder_ these people radiated. "Damn you..." The prefect managed to glance over his shoulder. It was the black of the night but if he could only stop the spinning of his head he might be able to get a look at them. Hibari needed to know. He fought down the fear for a brief moment longer. "Who are you...?"

The same voice hummed, young, mocking. "We're boys from the next town, here for our away game or something?" Was this some sort of sick joke?

"Quit fooling around. Finish it quickly, Ken," another boy spoke. And as his vision cleared and the clouds lifted to let the moon light the street, he wished he'd never asked. Had never went on patrol that night. The pincers gleamed in the translucent light like a tool pulled out of hell and the fear struck down on him heavy and suffocating.

The animal leaned in close, mad grin on his scarred face. "How many for this guy?" The pincers click, clacked, open and close. _No._ Please, god, _no!_ "Lemme take a little looksee!"

He felt tears prickle hot at his eyes. "Wha-What are you going to do?!" But he knew and he clawed at the pavement to get away but his arm must've been broken, it gave in instantly—

"Don't blame me for this~" Merciless hands caught ahold of his hair, tearing at the roots as he peeled him off the streets. And the other just stared as the animal brought the pincers closer, murderous intent thickening despite the singsong to his voice. "It's an order from the top~" But he clearly enjoyed it, he clearly did!

"Wait! Don't—!"

And then all he could do was scream.

* * *

Fiona's eyes were hard as she knelt down beside the boy. "This marks the seventh." She flicked the mobile open and close nervously. Another call for the ambulance.

_How had it come to this?_

Kusakabe shook his head, own phone resting by his ear as he stayed in contact with the other search parties. "Make it eight. They just found another one by the lake in the park." Then he closed it shut, watching the Italian as she gently turned the beaten Disciplinary Committee prefect's head towards her. The blood clung to his face from laying in his own pool for too long. His breathing was barely above a whistling wheeze.

She'd put up her hair some hours ago, when it was still dark and not dawning pink and orange on the horizon like it was right now. Looks were a secondary priority even to her in scenarios like these. Searching eyes scanned the extent of the wounds. Most of the blood stemmed from the mouth. Again. _They're following a pattern; a system, _she thought.

"I'm gonna call the ambulance in a sec but I have to check on something first, okay?" The boy couldn't speak, face all swollen up, but he managed to nod, a tiny gleam to his eyes from beneath the swollen lids. He wasn't petrified despite knowing what she wanted. He knew what it entailed. Involuntarily, Fiona smiled. "You're tough, big guy."

Then she pried open his mouth.

His body jerked upwards and he would've probably clammed down on her fingers if he had any control left over his jaw. Dislocated, probably crushed at at least one of the joints. _Irregularities: three out of eight. Power display, not a pattern. _Dislocated jaws were an unpredictable element added to the sudden assault that she could not quite decipher. A display of strength, a lack of control.

_**How** had it come to this?_

It had been a normal enough night a few hours ago. She'd eaten out till the late hours, thinking that a full stomach would help in resting for a full night. She tried to get her insomniac tendencies back on track but it never quite worked out. Not that she would be able to get a shut-eye anymore, the way that guttural scream tore through the silence of the night on her way home. Not even the birds and crickets had dared to sing their song afterward, the whimpering echo carrying genuine pain and fear over, the sort only true torture could offer. She remembered running as fast as she could with her heart pumping hard in her ears.

Alone and bleeding, both body and walls around him splotched with red, she'd inadvertently found the first victim of the night.

Fiona stood up and brushed her fingers off on her jeans. A chilly morning breeze forced goosebumps onto her bare arms but the thin t-shirt would have to do for another hour. She quickly dialed the ambulance over, whose sirens could be heard faintly in the far distance. Probably already picking up the other body by the lake.

"21," she said evenly. Kusakabe cursed.

It had been one of the prefects she'd found in that alley alone, so badly, inhumanly hurt. There was no one else to call but Hibari in a situation like that; one of his men attacked, clearly a planned assault as she inspected the victim closer in the brief time it took the head prefect to arrive on the scene. He'd brought his second-in-command with him, dropped him off with succinct orders to secure the city's parameters, before dashing off to god-knows-where in his private search for the culprits.

Kusakabe may or may not have liked it but they'd been stuck together all night since, the first search party to set out. Because she sure as hell wasn't going to leave this be. Something of this magnitude she couldn't shake off as though it never happened. They'd even stopped bickering after the severity of it all struck fully because the ambulance found a disturbing feature to look out for: extracted teeth.

That had doubled their efforts to comb through the city's streets.

_Lunatics, _she thought as she watched the boy wend in his own blood. In the distance the sirens roared. Yazaki, she remembered. His name's Yazaki. She'd looked it up when she'd gone through the vast folders of the Disciplinary Commitee once. She shivered and it was not because of the cold.

_Why had she let it come to this?_

Kusakabe's sigh snapped her back to reality. "You think there's more?" Rapt in thoughts, he rolled the culm left and right between his lips. The usually prideful regent hairstyle hung low in exhaustion, long night taking its toll on its magnificence.

For a moment Fiona simply stood there in the middle of the street and watched the sun ascend over the rooftops, true to the name of the Land of the Rising Sun. Then she turned her back on the celestial body. Focus.

People tick in similar fashions everywhere around the globe; always leaving patterns to unfurl. "I don't think they'll attack after dawn. Too risky. They've done their part in grabbing attention." She scrunched up her eyes. _For now._

"If they think they can get away with this..." He crossed his arms, bulging out muscles beneath the leather jacket in a silent threat. Then he looked her over. "I appreciate the work you've done so far but we're taking over now. Things are going to get real ugly." Her inner translator sprung to life. _'You surprised me with your actions but don't take it too far. This is no place for a girl like you.'_

Fiona glanced up at him. "Is that worry I hear?"

"We aren't friends." She snorted. Prideful men are littered all over the goddamn place.

She turned around to face him head-on to give him yet another taste of her opinion. It was the topic of the night apparently, her involvement. "I know. Doesn't change the fact I'm already knee-deep into this investigation."

He straightened his back and did the same, towering over her with ease. "This is clearly the Disciplinary Committee's branch of expertise."

She took a step forward. "To take a leaf out of Kyoya's book: They're Namimori students and _I'm_ head of Student Council. This concerns me just as much as you."

They could easily throw a punch at each other, that close stood they. "It's for the best of all students—"

"—to let _me_ on this case because I'm going to find your culprits in 24 hours straight. Names, past, hiding place, clothing size and favorite color all inclusive." Her smile returned, if thin and brittle, reality train back on track. This is what she's here for. This is her job description. "We've been through this, dear vice president, and we're running in circles. Let. Me. In. On. It."

He groaned. "The Disciplinary Committee does _not_ need any help from outsiders."

Oh dear headache that is forming right now. Please guide this man. "I helped you through the night despite your refusal. I say we work together splendidly." She flicked her phone open and scrolled through her contact list. "Kyoya isn't going to find anything the way he charged off anyway," she added as an afterthought.

"Is that so?" The cold menace in his voice was enough to identify the shadow stepping out of the alleyway. Angry—fuming, really—proud and vengeful. A clashing difference to how she encountered him at school. That almost seemed a faraway memory now. The raid had come sudden and struck harder. _Keep yourself together, woman! _"Maybe you're simply in cahoots together."

The ambulance reared to a halt on the far end of the street. The back doors jolted open as emergency doctors jogged towards the scene of crime. She watched them load the prefect up on a stretcher. The boy's still alive and he'd manage. She'd come to Japan for a reason. As an informant it was her job to prevent these things. And if she did not manage that_—_quench the fire before it managed to spread too far.

Fiona spared Hibari but a glance as she stalked off, dialing up a number on her phone. "They've declared war—and I'm your best player."

* * *

**Monday Morning**

* * *

"Is there something wrong at Nami Jr. High?"

Tsuna looked up in confusion, pulling his head out of the fridge. "Huh?"

His mom apparently spoke with Reborn and not her son. Fine by him. He continued raiding the fridge. "There was another assault case, wasn't there?" A what? At his school?

Reborn slurped some of his coffee before clarifying the situation, locking on directly with Tsuna's doe-eyed expression. "Last weekend, eight prefects from Namimori Jr. High were found with serious injuries. The victims, for some reason, had their teeth extracted. There were even some who had all of them extracted."

Tsuna almost chocked on his orange juice. "For real?!" Then he squinted his eyes in thought. "Wh-Why would anyone do something like that?" Attacking the prefects out of all possible students, too. Hibari definitely wasn't going to be happy. Whoever did this had a death wish if he so openly provoked the head prefect.

"Hey, Tsuna. Maybe you should go learn some hand-to-hand fighting skills for self-defense?" Mom offered cortously.

"What? Why do _I_ have to do something like that?!"

She flared her nostrils as she became agitated. "Because I'm worried! You should learn to protect yourself!"

"But this has nothing to with me! It's a fight between gangsters!" He crossed his arms defiantly. "I mean, the victims have all been prefects only, right?"

* * *

The Hibari Kyoya currently patrolling the streets of Namimori was not his usual self.

He was much, much worse.

The suddenness of the attacks coupled with the cowardice of their enemies sent his blood boiling. Each passing minute only helped to add on his annoyance; the shameless way somebody tried to undermine his authority and steal it away from his grasp.

He wouldn't let such a rebellious act pass.

His impatience grew with every corner he rounded. He inspected a bent and dent piece of fence. Another place an attack must've taken place at. He stood still for a moment longer, expression one of guarded fury. If these attackers had left any trail to follow, he would've instantly initiated the chase—

A loud clunk on the floor caught his attention. He spun around only to spot a shrieking cat jolt away from an upturned wastebin and flee into the bushes. Trying to escape its responsibilities, he thought dryly. He couldn't wait to get his hands on the perpetrators for trying to do the same.

His phone rang. Flipping open the device, he was greeted by the hectic voice of his vice president. "What is it?"

_"I told her not to get involved but she's doing it anyway."_

Hibari rose a brow, hold on the phone shifting, clenching. That woman was nosy. "Where is she?"

_"I'm going over to her apartment."_ Hibari looked about his surroundings, spotting the medium-sized complex in the distance. He wasn't too far away. _"She came to school telling our men she was working under your orders."_ Nosy didn't even describe the audacity._ "Then she took** everything **from the school's archives back home. No idea why she even needs the stuff."_

That is considered theft. He glared at the building. She was finally violating the rules. "Wait there. I want to deal with her personally." If he could release even a part of his pent-up energy on her it would come as a welcome distraction. And perhaps he had been more than right when he'd suspected her of working together with the enemy.

The walk to the apartment complex had passed quicker than he could take note of, fueled by anger and the thirst to do _something_. Kusakabe waited for him in front of the road sign and when he passed the vice-president with the barest nod, he followed him inside wordlessly, culm rolling between his lips in thought.

They hurried the four floors to her apartment up, white-walled staircases molding into one another, until they reached the door to Benivieni Fiona's apartment.

Kusakabe threw him a glance as he rang the door bell reading the foreign surname. Hibari wouldn't have minded kicking in the door but he needn't any attraction. She would bolt the moment she saw wood splinter. The constant chatter behind the door stopped momentarily, then broke out once more in full swing with a series of curses. Hibari readied his tonfas, jaw clenched in anticipation.

The Italian didn't even grace them with a look when she ripped open the door and ushered them inside. _"Shall I hang up then? I'm in dire need of sleep." _

The blonde turned her back on them, braided hair bouncing left and right. "If I'm not sleeping, you aren't either. Deal with it." When they didn't immediately follow, she threw an exasperated look over her shoulder. "Are you coming in or not? This place is sealed off to the public otherwise."

This reaction was not what he'd expected. "You stole—"

"Nothing," she finished for him. Both his brows shot up at the look in her eyes that differed greatly from the norm; not playful or flighty, but blunt and clear, calculating as it passed over his expression. It was an expression he rarely encountered in herbivores. "I'm merely doing my job."

_"Which involves stealing things most of the times, I might add," _the male voice on speakers said, speaking a fluent, accent-free Japanese. _"Metaphorically speaking, of course."_

Her hand shot out to the phone as if it were a real person. "Not helping, Alessio."

_"Never planned to." _Pause._ "And you can shove that middlefinger up someplace else."_

Kusakabe threw him another glance, this time filled with confusion as well as curiosity. Hibari did not acknowledge it as he stepped inside the foreigner's apartment.

Its insides looked as though a bomb had detonated in the middle of the room. Papers and folders have taken every free spot in the room for themselves, hiding both furniture and half of the sun in her vain attempt to light the room past stacking, messy piles. His gaze returned full circle to linger on her, who had just swept off some papers from the barstools in the kitchenette.

She caught his stare. "It's not always like this. Just when I'm working, I swear."

The male on the speakers snorted.

Fiona's head snapped around. "Shut up and get something done," she barked.

Rustling filled the room as the bodyless voice shifted positions on their chair. _"And you say** I'm** the workaholic. When you're into it you can get pretty sadistic."_

"Shut up and get something done, _please._"

_"There's still room for improvement but I'll accept the apology for now."_ Pause. _"You want me to get specific on where to shove up your insults this time around?"_

She grumbled. "You know me too well." The male hummed happily.

The banter did nothing to soothe the growing headache and Hibari's annoyance. First the assault, now he had to deal with _this_. Kusakabe crossed his arms as he leaned against a bar stool for support. "Who is that?" he nodded towards the phone lying on the black couch.

"A nosy friend of mine."

_"What goes around, comes around. You want to pay back triple interest for that pirate ship incident instead?"_ One of his brows shot up involuntarily. A pirate ship? The male continued before his mind fully settled on the image. _"Transfer is complete. I know Eduardo's on the field for this but which course of action would you prefer right now? Going classic or all-out?"_

There was something off, different about the herbivore as she considered, foreign green eyes vivid yet cool. Focused. "Eduardo?" She placed a hand to her chin. "Interesting. He's short-range reconnaissance normally."

And suddenly he was reminded of a cold winter day out on the frozen lake, when he'd first met her. The moment she took of her shades she'd worn the same knowing look as she did right now. He'd remember that look forever: the only reason as to why he allowed her, a grown adult, to stay in his school.

He beckoned for Kusakabe to sit and moved to the outermost barstool himself.

She was acquainted with the baby. And somehow she'd managed to get into the Student Council—and keep her position to this day. He watched her every move intently. The best player, she'd said. If she actually proved useful, they could consider new arrangements between them. Anything less and he would have to bite her to death for her impropriety.

Eyes steady and voice firm, she contrasted starkly to her usual self. "Take MASK. I want the whole network on it. First strings on the ready, Vongola will be right on our tails from the get-go. We need superb coordination to make sure nobody catches our trails."

The sound of fingers racing across a keyboard. _"Going for the infamy instead, eh? People will be **overjoyed** to hear from him."_ Irony dripped off the phone as the clattering of keys continued. _"Some of your contacts are currently abroad—"_

Her hands gesticulated on their own to stress her words. "If they can't manage the workload, threaten to cut them off and move the next in line up. I want full capacity. They have one hour to prepare."

The male whistled. _"Good to have you back and on **my** side. I'll make sure orders are clear. And Fiona?_"

She'd already picked up the phone. "Hm?"

_"Stay safe. I don't like the sound of this, especially coupled with the recent developments over here."_ He cleared his throat._ "I'll call back later."_

Fiona nodded. "Will do." She hung up and spun around to face the boys. "Any questions? Death threats? I could do with some coffee, too."

This was no simple attack. And she was no simple herbivore, her actions belied that. Hibari spoke up and he made sure she got the meaning behind his words in perfect clarity. "How long will this take?"

She didn't disappoint. Her gaze met his head-on. Focused, fearless. It sent his blood boiling in different ways; itching for a fight to find the limits it took to break her. But not now. He had to take precautions for his school first, take down the leader behind this mischief second. Then perhaps...

"A couple hours."

He left the room without looking back.

* * *

Tsuna groaned in annoyance as he fanned out the different fighting club prospects. "I already said this has nothing to do with me!" He counted them out. Half a dozen. "Where did mom get all these anyway?" She couldn't possibly be stashing them away for the right moment. Then again... "You were hired from a flyer, too, weren't you?" he asked the baby hitman strutting next to him on the brick wall.

Said baby ignored his musing. "If Fuuta were here, he could come up with a ranking list of the best fighting styles to suit Tsuna."

"I don't need that kind of list!" he exclaimed incredulous.

Reborn ignored him _again. _"Or maybe it would be a good idea to join Ryohei's Boxing Club."

The very thought sent a shiver down his spine. "Don't... don't joke around! His Spartan ways will kill me." As he rounded the corner to school, he noticed something off. There was an absurd amount of Disciplinary Committee prefects surrounding the entrance and streets leading up to the school. He looked left and right and he spotted them _everywhere_.

"Considering that there've been so many cases," Reborn stated casually in his squeaky voice, "they're getting jittery, too."

Just thinking about it got _him_ jittery. _If you ask me... _"This really is a gang fight or something..."

"You're wrong." Tsuna almost sky-rocketed into the bushes from fright.

"H-Hibari-san!" As if the near-death encounter at his own house wasn't enough to last him a lifetime of the head prefect! Even if it only had been Fiona in disguise, the nightmares following him for days after were real enough. "I-I was just on my way to school..."

"Ciaossu!" Don't start a conversation with him!

Hibari regarded Reborn with a longer stare than usual before speaking up again. Tsuna pleaded for the ground to swallow him whole. "This is a mischief with no meaning." Then he locked gazes with Tsuna, eyes slanting dangerously. He couldn't help stepping back a little. "But of course, these sparks that have ignited must be severed from their origin."

No amount of flowery wording could take the emphasis out of _'severed' _the way he said it with a deep loathing. _Hibari-san is really scary...!_

"And how do you plan on going about that?" Reborn asked, continuing to draw Tsuna into a smalltalk he really wasn't keen on eavesdropping.

"The Disciplinary Committee has its ways of making people spill their secrets. We're already working on the culprit's identity." He knew there was a reason he did not want to get involved with these kind of people. Hibari could be even scarier than the Mafia at times, although just barely.

A ringtone suddenly disrupted the silence. Tsuna couldn't believe his ears when he heard the school anthem played. Or eyes in that matter when he spotted the owner of the ringtone standing right in front of him. _Hibari-san has our school anthem as ringtone?!_ Better run along, quickly out of sight and hopefully out of mind—

"He's an acquaintance of yours, isn't he? Sasagawa Ryohei." Tsuna turned to meet the head prefect's eyes, stomach suddenly filled with dread. Kyoko-chan's big brother couldn't possibly...?

"He was attacked."

* * *

The pen raced across the paper, barely intelligible notes scribbled all over the once free space. The laptop's fan and occasional hitch offered the only company to the sole Informant sitting in her messed-up apartment.

_They have a system. _The names and profiles of all the victims were ordered on a cleared space on the floor, going from the order of teeth extracted. A few calls to the ambulance had given her the certainty on the numbers. They were counting down_ something.  
_

She sat in front of the profiles unmoving. It had taken her most of the night to create them, language barriers hindering her progress every once in a while. MASK would do his job of locating the source of the problem, a fake identity she'd used to rise in the information broker business during her absence from the Mafia. The number of Underworld connections the fake information broker maintained was dangerously high, though. People that wished to see Vongola destroyed. One wrong move and the sweet balance could be busted.

_He'll do fine, _she calmed herself. Alessio had to lead the conversations in her stead for now, direct MASK's network in the right directions. As long as he played low passes, the probability of being detected as a spy was low. And there were certain coincidences not quite adding up. _'The recent developments over here,' _Alessio had said. He was right. Her own return had stirred up voices but she had half a stomach ache that somebody was getting something out of the chaos of regular gossip and tittle-tattle, marriages, conspiracies and jailbreaks. More so than usual. She couldn't concentrate on the behinds yet, though; there was a different puzzle to crack first.

Where did they base the countdown off from?

Eight prefects were attacked during the weekend. She'd been informed of another three attacks occurring in the recent hours on _non_-prefects. More reports to follow, she was certain. The trademarks connecting the assaults were easy to discern: teeth extraction, no matter where you looked. It was there and clear for all to see. The question was not, as Hibari would have liked, _who_ these attackers were. That could be answered along the way. It was _what_ they were aiming for—or whom.

A Mafia attack was out of the question. Too many non-members attacked. They would've headed straight for the Tenth, whose existence was a common tradeable knowledge by now, unguarded as it is. Possibly going for his friends or families, too. Either of these options hadn't proven viable.

These people weren't in the Mafia. She had to come up with something different.

She rearranged the order. Eight prefects. 24 to 16 teeth. Two second-years and a third-year so far. Down to thirteen. A certain Mochida had been the last one assaulted. She looked up the 14th. The schools folders had all been moved to her apartment by now. She needed the information at hand and was glad Hibari had given in so easily.

This is her kind of work. He could hog all the glory on the frontlines later.

Fiona frowned. The 14th was the head of the Karate Club that had once bothered her. She flicked open Mochida's file. Kendo club. Next. Victim No. 15 had no interesting file but upon looking up his name on the internet she came up with more than one olympic entry. An athlete.

They wanted to inflict uncertainty by killing the shepherds, the leaders of the school; to spread doubts, fear. _Reverse pattern. _Maybe instead to show off their strength, superiority and power—

Shit.

Her phone rang and she quickly picked up. "Fiona speaking."

_"Five more people were delivered to the hospital right now,"_ Kusakabe paused, her impromptu scout on the fields keeping her informed of recent developments. _"None of them are prefects."_

Her heart raced. Hibari was busy watching the school parameters as he waited for an answer still. Two hours she'd said. Time was ticking. "Anyone you recognize? Think hard." She only needed one more confirmation.

Footsteps. _"Wait a second."_ Strength. They were counting down a strength list, planning to defeat them all. Were they students of Namimori Jr. High? No, that wouldn't make sense. They'd have been too easy to recognize then. Nobody awake had recognized the attackers so far. _"That's Mamura, right? Yeah. Yeah, definitely Mamura, one of our third-years."_

"Does this Mamura play some kind of sport or did you fight him once?" _Is he strong, _she asked between the lines.

"_He's the vice president of the Wrestling Club. Sparred with him twice."_ Fiona allowed herself an air fist before placing one file atop the others. Hibari Kyoya was definitely the top of the list. The strongest fighter in the city—the school. She frowned. It was all about the school. No, not quite right again. She pushed the man-devil off the pile. He'd dealt with most these cases months, probably years ago. People in and around Namimori knew of him and his Committee and whoever still dared to brave him was made a quick example.

Therefore these people had to be _new. _New, deliberately provoking him, the students, the school, _somebody_ and they knew the ins and out of achieving their goal way too clearly for her liking. It couldn't be mere coincidence.

To follow such a specific goal, to target the school directly, you were either a student or...

She jumped up and stumbled for her laptop, fingers tapping away at the keys. She pinged Alessio on their private chat program. He gave green light. "Wait a sec, Elvis."

_"Wha—"_

She turned off the mute on her microphone. Knucklebone Eduardo is only ever used as _short-range_ reconnaissance. What's Vongola planning here? "Alessio, I need everything you can spit out on Namimori's neighborhoods, in and out of the city. 30 kilometer radius. Build-up of gangs, pit fights, whatever goes." The data raced across the monitor as he mirrored what MASK was getting once he forwarded her orders to her network of spies and with a beating heart Fiona browsed through her own files. _They couldn't possibly get past me. This is top-secret._

You were either a student or had a very specific list_ ranking_ the strongest fighters of the school in a particular order. And you _need_ that list because you have no other means of finding whatever you're looking for. A crippled information network in this case; these attackers had to stay under the radar. Still they knew about Fuuta somehow when they shouldn't have._ It's supposed to be top-secret, _she repeated. The boy was her responsibility. She rushed through her archives until—

Jackpot. Recent developments indeed._  
_

"Contact Reborn. I think somebody may have broken the Omertá. Expect to initiate stage_ Seneca_ soon. Logging out, keep me updated." She shut the laptop close and picked up her phone. The timing was too much of a coincidence. "Elvis?"

_"Do I even need to react to that?"_

She brushed his complaint off and slipped into her shoes, simultaneously reaching for a jacket with the free hand she got. "Keep the students calm. Gather them in one place if possible. And watch out for yourself, you're definitely going to be targeted as well." The higher they climbed the harder the fight would be. It could buy them the time she needed to pull this off.

_"And what are you going to—shit. We have a newcomer."_

Something in the way his voice dropped didn't resonate well with her. "Who is it?"

_"...Sasagawa Ryohei."_

Fingers lingering on the door handle, she froze but for the barest of moments. "Watch out," she whispered. The door slammed shut behind her. "Try not to get caught." She hung up and turned around.

"Namimori Jr. High, class 2-B, seat number 17, Benivieni Fiona." The barcode tattoo by his glasses was the only thing she saw as he righted them on his nose with a slim finger. "I believe you have been caught."

* * *

Red gleamed in the dark as the small boy crossed the distance between them. "Your abilities come in most handy, little Fuuta." Slender fingers stroked through bright brown strands, soft as feathers to the touch. "I wonder who will be next on the list. Somebody you know, perchance? That would be enjoyable to watch."

The boy knelt down and spread the precious tome open in front of the ripped and tattered couch the other was sitting on. All was going according to plan. He flipped through the book. Only a little more patience.

A tiny note slipped out between the pages, almost innocently hovering down in front of his feet. "Oh?" He picked it up and folded it open, amusement flickering through his mismatched eyes. A short sentence, nothing more, but a memory the boy held dear because he stiffened briefly in his actions, the hold on him ever so slightly loosening. How interesting. "Kufufufu."

_You should be more careful._

What an ironic warning to find in a situation like this. And much too late.

Red lit up as its gaze fell on the boy again. "Now, Fuuta. I think you should tell me a little more about this one." And the boy started singing his truths like the caged bird he was.

The wheels had already started turning to his favor.

* * *

**A/N: **

**Whoop, whoop. A little kept note from the previous chapter can go a long ways. I'm also done with spicing up the summary. This is probably the final version.  
**


	10. Two Sides of One Coin

**I don't own **_****_Katekyō Hitman Reborn!_****_****.****

****Shoutout to **_nanahikari2000_** for being awesome and making my day! Hope you'll like this one. :)  
****

* * *

**Previously  
**

* * *

_Eyes steady and voice firm, she contrasted starkly to her usual self. "Take MASK. I want the whole network on it. First strings on the ready, Vongola will be right on our tails from the get-go. We need superb coordination to make sure nobody catches our trails."_

_"How long will this take?"_

_"A couple hours."_

_. . .  
_

_Fingers lingering on the door handle, she froze but for the barest of moments. "Watch out," she whispered. The door slammed shut behind her. "Try not to get caught." She hung up and turned around._

_"Namimori Jr. High, class 2-B, seat number 17, Benivieni Fiona." The barcode tattoo by his glasses was the only thing she saw as he righted them on his nose with a slim finger. "I believe you have been caught."_

_._

_._

_._

_._

* * *

** Target X: Two Sides of One Coin**

* * *

_"Two hours is asking too much, even for you." The door had barely slammed shut when the laptop was stationed on the couch table, the master forger's voice filling up the living room once more.  
_

_Fiona grinned, blood pumping hot in her veins. "Not if you take the dirty shortcuts."_

_A brief silence. "This is borderline dangerous. Is MASK's network the only one you have left?"_

_"Pretty much."_

_He did not like the sound of it. "You shouldn't work outside regulations now that you're reinstated. This is the last second chance anyone will give you after Talvonziani."_

_She stretched, grin never leaving her face. "Don't worry. Nobody will notice a thing."_

* * *

The prefect scratched the back of his head upon Hibari's arrival, pointing at the ground dappled with blood. "The neighbors heard sounds of fighting but by the time we arrived, this is all that's left."

It was very little: the blood, a crooked and bent trash can, hundreds of needles littered all over the paved streets. Hibari stepped up to the most prominent object, a jacket flung carelessly to the side. He bent down to check the pockets.

"Hibari-san... what are you doing?"

An assault without a victim. A pair of sunglasses slipped out of an inside pocket, confirming his suspicion. The apartment complex was too close to be coincidence. Ignoring the curious stares of his men, he continued rummaging and came across a bulge in one of the outer pockets. A mobile phone. Without a second thought, he flicked it open.

An unsent message greeted him on the screen, missing its receiver, all but two words quickly scribbled down.

_Kokuyo Park_

He checked the time on his watch, comparing it to the time limit. 1 hour and 59 minutes. Only just.

* * *

Tsuna was breathing hard by the time he reached the hospital. He flung the door to one of the patient rooms open. "Big brother! Are you alright?"

Ryohei's lids fluttered open, turning his head towards the new visitor. "Ah, Sawada. You're quick." Tsuna's breath caught in his throat at the sight of the many bandages; the tubes leading to a crimson blood bag, constantly dripping, pumping. Catching his wandering eyes, Ryohei chuckled although it quickly ended in a pained wince. "I look really pathetic like this," he managed to say.

Tsuna approached the bed, tugging at his spiky hair. "Why did this happen to you?!" Out of all the people to be involved, why did it have to be Kyoko-chan's big brother?!

Reborn was quick to change the question into something formidable. "How are you feeling?"

Looking proud of himself, Ryohei placed a hand over his chest. "Six bones broken, seven cracked..." He opened his mouth and pointed inside. "And look: I lost five of my teeth," he finished. Tsuna reeled back on instanct, especially when the boxer didn't seem perturbed by his injuries in the slightest. No, he shrug his shoulders instead, ever spirited. "I've broken more bones and teeth during boxing."

_That's not a laughing matter! _his mind screeched. "Even though I had my guard down, he was a fearsome man." Tsuna stopped in his frenzy to blink.

"You saw the culprit?" he asked. Reborn's expression darkened when Ryohei nodded, sick Leon curling around his hat.

"Yeah, he even knew my name." Did they come for him delibaretly then? He couldn't understand why anyone would involve the boxed in any sort of gang fight or whatever this thing had escalated into. "The uniforms are from Kokuyo Middle School, from the next town over."

"M-Middle School?" They're middleschoolers just like them?!

Strangely solemn, Ryohei nodded. "Yeah." His eyes found the smaller boy's, drilling into them. "You be careful, too, Sawada."

Tsuna gulped. But he had nothing to do with it, right?

* * *

Giving Tsuna the time until he was done, both with his visit and panicking, Reborn distanced himself from the commotion to answer a call. "Ciaossu."

_"Reborn,"_ the master forger greeted curtly. The baby hummed to himself. So she had been on the case since the beginning. Figures. _"I've been asked to forward information to you." _Yet she didn't report to him in person but through a middleman. That was strange. A grim expression ghosted over his childish face as he was briefed. So his bad hunch hadn't been for naught.

But something did not sit well with him. "Where did you get this information from?"

_"I'm afraid it's sealed inside Davy Jones' Locker now. No Coin, no info."_ Which roughly translates to '_it's classified_'. That little quirk of Fiona's started to annoy him now, adjusting everything to her epithet and own terminology, but there was certainty in the fact that she did not want her sources to be spread. She was undermining someone's or something's authority to get to the core of this mystery that much was a given and he'd bet his sick chameleon that she used outside sources to get her information.

Reborn squinted his eyes, staring at the wall. "Where is she now?"

Alessio clicked his tongue. _"She went quiet. Any other questions you'll have to relay over Vongola channels from now on. Do not mention my name, please. I'm officially nursing a hangover, not working on a case."  
_

Hopefully they had enough information to get on with the case despite. He hung up with a curt thanks, walking back to his protégé only to find a most curious scene unfold.

The vice-prefect of the Disciplinary Committee walked with the calmness of someone either accustomed to stressful situations or bound with the wisdom and abilities to resolve them. For the same reason he had specifically placed her into the Student Council, he bet on the latter, and suddenly he was certain that she left _something_ behind.

"So, nobody's seen any sign of the head?" Kusakabe asked. Reborn found it a tad bit too clear for his liking; as if he wanted everyone to hear him. His student perked up on the question, snapping out of his panic attack much too easily.

The other prefect nodded. "He went to investigate the scene of an assault where there was no victim but then he quickly went away. He's probably gone after the trail of the enemy!" He allowed himself a triumphant grin. "So, really, it's only a matter of time before the culprits are totally annihilated."

Kusakabe nodded as the talking pair passed them by. "I see. Good."

Tsuna instantly picked up on that. "Did you hear that?"

"Yeah," said the stray classmate he chose to panic with.

"Hibari-san has gone to take care of the enemies!" The laughter of relief fizzed off his lips much too easily for his liking as well. Something didn't feel right with the whole case, its brutality.

The lull in assaults held roughly twenty minutes before they rolled in another victim. "Make way! Another Nami Jr. High student got beat up!"

Kusakabe did not look calm any longer the way he lay there in the stretcher, bleeding and hurt.

They had to take up the reins, fast. Reborn hopped onto the stretcher with the mangled body of the vice-prefect, prying open his mouth, ignoring all complaints. _Four._ Considering the speed of the attacks he saw it fit to reveal the secrets to his student. "There can be no doubt." Before any more people went quiet.

He sent Tsuna a sharp look. "The cause of all this fighting is you, Tsuna."

The boy took an involuntary step back. "What do you mean, _I'm_ the cause of all the fighting?! I thought it was a gang fight between the Disciplinary Committee and some other gang!"

Reborn didn't flinch in the slightest at the loud outburst. Leon did suddenly shift into a green hammer ins his hands as he got startled, though. His condition left the lizard more sensible to his surroundings next to his newfound fragility. Reborn looked his student square in the eye. "Do you remember how many teeth all the victims have lost?"

_They're counting down._

"How many...?" He couldn't just do all the talking, order action against the perpetrators. Tsuna had to learn himself, if he wanted to become a good boss. "Kusakabe, who was just beaten up, lost four, you said..." Reborn nodded and Tsuna continued. "Didn't Ryohei lose five? Before that..."

He was better off if he didn't know who the sixth rank was. Yet. Instead, the baby hitman picked up where he left off, placing the rails down for his student to follow. He could almost relate to the informant's line of work, different than he was used to as a hitman but there was little else he _could_ do. "The first person who got beaten up lost all 24 of his teeth. Since then, each successive victim has lost one less tooth than the previous one." He paused to let the words sink in. "The perpetrators are counting down with teeth." Leon wiggled uncomfortably in his hands.

"What the heck!"

"There's more," Reborn said. Alessio's voice ghosted in the back of his mind. _It's uncertain how they got past our defenses but fact is that they did. Someone broke the Omertá to help these people. _"I found a correlation. Take a look at this."

Tsuna carefully grabbed the piece of paper from his hands and read the twirly heading. "Namimori Junior High's Fighting Strength Ranking?" Big, brown eyes blinked uncertainly. "What about it?"

We're getting there. "You really are slow. The order of victims matches the ranking list exactly."

Big, brown eyes widened into something even bigger. "Eh?! For real?!" He watched him look over the list, check up on the names. Then he frowned, looking at the heading again and the signet above it. "This ranking list..."

Reborn nodded. "Yes. It's Fuuta's."

Tsuna looked at the baby with concern and confusion written all over his face. "What the hell is going on?"

Reborn settled in for a long explanation. "We Mafia have a code, the Omertá. It's a code that says, under no circumstances should a person reveal the secrets of his organization." _Somebody broke the Omertá to help these people. Fuuta would never betray our famiglia. _Alessio spoke the truth. "Fuuta's ranking lists are the entire industry's top secret. There's no way an ordinary person would have access to it. In other words, to get access to it means..."

_To get past La Pescatrice, Vongola's last line of defense.  
_

"Since the fourth-ranked Kusakabe was beaten, the third-ranked would be targeted next!" A simplified deduction but correct. He had the feeling there was more to it but he'd have to check up first. The color in Tsuna's face drained as he stared at the next name. "No way... w-what should we do, Reborn?!"

The baby pulled his hat lower. "Things are getting worse and worse. You go deal with it."_ Rank 3 _—_ Gokudera Hayato. _Technically he should be able to fend off his attacker long enough for them to pinpoint their enemies' location and take up real countermeasures.

"Me—?!"

"Yes." Davy Jones' Locker. An assault without victim. Someone got past the Mafia's intelligence defense line. It unnerved him. The master forger did the dirty business he usually avoided and the information stank to the sky. How did she even manage to get information at all when she was just recently reinstated? "I'm going to check out something that's bothering me."

_Rank 6 _— Benivieni Fiona. __

Out of all times to be missing, it has to be now.__  
__

* * *

_"**That's** your plan? Are you kidding me?"  
_

_She nodded. "Nobody can find out that the information is **not** coming firsthand from MASK. It'll have to look like he did his own research. His network operates outside Mafia law and if they knew it was me, I'd be shot down on the spot. MASK was involved in some heavy anti-Mafia campaigns, after all." She frowned, pursing her lips in thought. "But since someone outside the Mafia managed to get a hold of Fuuta and is currently in Namimori, we can turn the tables and place all blame on him once this is over."  
_

_"And then you'd say you planted men into their ranks to spy on their research instead of giving out confidential information yourself, I get it." Alessio cursed nonetheless. "You're breaking the Omertá with this. I should rat you out."_

_Fiona rolled her eyes. "When did I ever do something to compromise our family?"_

* * *

The random arrangement of bottles and books crumbled under the bowling ball's weight and speed as it levelled its way past the crude nine pin-like obstacles. "So what'd you do with him?" The blond licked his lips once he was certain of his strike. "The Nami High Boss—what was it? Sparrow? Duck?"

The blue-haired boy sat as casually as always, this time on the broken and withered seats of the bowling alley, watching the other rearrange the pins. "I took him out." The ever-present smile on his face only broadened at the pleasant memory. "We'll leave him unconscious until we've gotten all the teeth."

"Hyaaa~," the blonde half-growled, half-yowled. "So, he's still alive? That guy!"

Mismatching eyes scanned the area, fallen apart as it was. "Where's Chikusa?"

The blond picked up the bowling ball again. "Kakipi's gone after the third-ranked prey." He gave the heavy ball a test swing. "It's getting more and more tedious, so he didn't know about his chances, he said." With a dash, the ball crashed deafeningly loud onto the alley, racing forward and taking every pin down with it.

* * *

_Boom._

Tsuna spun around at the sound of an explosion. _Could it be?! _

His legs were quicker than his mind, following in the general direction he'd picked up the sound. It just had to be Gokudera! Another explosion, this time closer. He slid rightward into an alley, stumbling over his own feet before he caught himself and continued on. Thoughts spun in circles inside his mind, screaming at him _Gokudera is the third target, Gokudera is the third target!_ He had to hurry and warn him, even if they're in the middle of a fight. He had to do _something_ to prevent his friend from getting hurt like everyone else. Gokudera probably hadn't even heard of anything suspicious happening to the students.

Rounding the corner in anticipation of a bloody battle he was met with an unexpected sight—the bomber languidly stretched out on the street, puffing a cigarette.

"Gokudera-kun!"

Gokudera startled from his relaxed position. "Boss! Why are you here?"

Tsuna couldn't believe his own feelings when relief washed over him, unraveling the tight knot that had nestled into his chest the moment he lay an eye on Fuuta's list. The weight on his shoulder suddenly felt much lighter. Gokudera was completely fine! "Ah, uh... I just thought what if and stuff..." Even his mouth couldn't work properly anymore, the tenseness from before gone so quickly, it left him all wobbly on his knees and in mind. "Some rumor said, um, that Gokudera-kun was targeted by the Kokuyo Jr. High guys..."

"You came especially because of that?!" The infinite happiness appearing in his eyes was as genuine as his own one must've been at the sight of him. "Sorry for the trouble! I just took care of the guy!"

He just took—

"_EH?_ Then it's true!"

Gokudera nodded like a little, praised puppy. Tsuna was lost for words once more. _That's some way of turning on your attacker... Gokudera is really strong._ He shrug it off. All that mattered was that his friend was alright. They could deal with the attackers afterward, once they found Yamamoto and met up with Reborn again. _Yamamoto is the second-ranked fighter, _he reminded himself. They had to think of where to find him if he wasn't at school either. Maybe at home? Where did he live anyway?

Still with a rare grin plastered to his face, Gokudera pointed out next to them onto the open street. "He's down there somewhere..." His words trailed off as his eyes jumped from one shop to the other that lined the street. "Wha—? He's not there!"

Tsuna snapped out of his thoughts. He followed his gaze but only saw smoking and battered stone and concrete.

"You saved me a lot of time."

Tsuna couldn't hold back a startled cry.

The boy before him was as battered as the street; olive uniform shredded and the skin beneath bleeding raw and red against pale. The white beanie was splotched with dark soot from the dynamites' impact. He shouldn't be able to stand at all, let alone walk towards them as he did, looking as threatening as ever.

_Scary, _Tsuna inadvertently thought, blocking all other thoughts out. This was their enemy. The ones behind the horrid attacks, behind Kyoko-chan's brother confined to a hospital bed with five teeth extracted in a cruel and painful manner.

_He only wants to hurt us. **Actually** hurt us._

Gokudera shifted back into a fighting stance. "Please be careful! His weapons are yo-yos!" _W-Weapons? _Just thinking about being stabbed, pricked, cut, exploded or punched made his knees shiver and legs feel like lead.

"Even if you say that, I'm too scared to move—!"

Whatever happened next escaped his whole notice. The moment he saw the lean boy raise his bloodied arm for an attack, Tsuna snapped his eyes shut, arms raised over his face in some sort of mock-defense. He heard Gokudera yell, himself scream, the sound of taut threads stretching and spinning—but nothing hit _him_.

He cracked open one lid only to see the back of his friend in front of him, covering his body with his own, taking the full attack. _No, _Tsuna thought with wide eyes as reality sunk in. No! This was Gokudera they were talking about, he didn't—couldn't—lose this easily!

But the voice that came out of Gokudera's throat didn't sound like his own; short of breath, in pain. "Tenth... please escape." What was he saying? He couldn't just...

Gokudera fell to his knees. Tsuna stared in horror. "Gokudera-kun! Are you all right? Gokudera-kun!" All this blood. No. _No._

Tsuna couldn't move. This was too much for him too handle. He was just a normal boy. Why did he have to get dragged into this, had to listen to Reborn, had to meet Fuuta and know about his lists—why did Gokudera have to defend him?

He'd only tried to help. And when he heard of a fight, he never imagined... he never thought it'd...

"He's broken," the scary guy said, not once flinching in pain despite his heavy injuries. Tsuna felt his body shiver in response. _Unnatural. Scary._ _Dangerous. _The impressions rained down on him, rooted him on the spot. "Now, come with me."

_It's my fault. But if I don't run away, I'm dead...! _Yet he couldn't. Like a mouse looking back up at the cat cornering it, he simply couldn't move from fear.

His face hit the floor as something heavy rammed into his ribcage and sent him slithering across the concrete. "This is called sliding into base. Safe!" The cheery laugh was like music to his ears, shattering the barrier of fear.

"Yamamoto!"

The tall baseballer gave him a warm, reassuring smile. "I was walking by and heard the ruckus." We're saved! No, not quite...!

"Gokudera-kun!" Tsuna shook the bomber by his shoulders but he was fast unconscious and ever-bleeding onto the street. Turning him to his side he saw that he'd taken the brunt of the needles to his chest. The uniform turned crimson red. "We have to do something!"

Yamamoto's expression turned dark as he nodded. "This guy..." He met the opponent's gaze head-on, the usual cheery eyes hard and mirthless. "He's not the quiet type, is he." Tsuna had never seen him lose his temper. The sight sent shivers down his spine.

Despite the injuries, the other didn't flinch back nor did he look intimidated. "You're in my way," he said instead, reaching back for another attack, twisting his arms hard and angry that the yo-yo's came at them with unstoppable speed and a long arc.

Yamamoto cut the threads clean in two.

Tsuna's face derailed in shock upon glancing the sharp blade in the teen's hand. _Since when did he start carrying his bat around?!_

Their enemy looked fazed for but the barest second before his hand went up to right the glasses on his nose. "I see. You're Namimori Jr. High, 1-A, seat number 15. Yamamoto Takeshi." Tsuna blanched. Yamamoto was placed second on the list, the next target after Gokudera. Did he seriously plan to fight him in the state he was in? The small boy's hand searched for the bomber's jacket, grabbing a handful of it.

Yamamoto's eyes turned cooler at the mention of his name. "What of it?" The grip on the sword tightened. They couldn't start another fight now. Gokudera wouldn't make it. They had to stop.

"Over here! This way, officer!" Their heads snapped around at the sound of footsteps and yells. A group of uniformed policemen ran towards the battle scene. "What are you boys doing?!"

The bloody and beaten boy turned his gaze back on Yamamoto. Tsuna couldn't get over the look in those eyes, completely unmoving and detached no matter the situation. "You're Ken's target. Fighting you would be a pain." And just like that he turned around and left battle ground, leaving them to watch him go with apprehension. Neither attempted to follow him. The battle was over.

"Hang in there, Gokudera!" Yamamoto's voice cut through the silence, blade turned bat again and lying forgotten on the ground. They'd won. Tsuna watched the blood cling to his hand where he'd held onto the soaked piece of clothing like a drowning man to a wooden plank.

But at what price?

* * *

"That would be a great help, Dino."

_"It's for my little bro. Let me know if there's anything more I can do." _The male paused on the other end. _"But this one is troublesome."_

Reborn nodded. "If they're the same ones that are causing this incident, then I can understand why they're using odd methods. They just broke out of prison and don't have any information on us."

_"Yeah. Your informant is on the case to find out how they managed to get a hold of Fuuta." _Dino chuckled at the small victory. _"He falls under her jurisdiction after all."_

Reborn gave a thoughtful hum. Really now. A missing person is able to continue working.

She'd have some explaining to do.

* * *

**A/N:**

**A tough one to write (and keep semi-correct in context). ******But so many ideas flowing together!** Technically Ryohei's attack and hers happen in a very short timeframe of each other, even though hers happened belatedly. Maybe Chikusa lost his way, who knows?  
**

**Lots of mystery.**** Lots of fishy terminology. Lots of Reborn, which is surprisingly fun! He's onto her, uh-oh. Thanks for reading and the lovely reviews! :) My brain has turned to mush and needs recharching now. Over and out.  
**


	11. Fighters Assembled

**I don't own ********_Katekyō Hitman Reborn!_****.**

**Arc Finale incoming! Next Chapter is going to be the end of the Kokuyo Arc. And I'll post it superfast sometime during the weekend, so stay tuned!**

**Guest Reviews:**

_pleased person_**: First off, I love your choice of name. Very subtle. ;) Thanks for liking this big pile of words! I'll try my best to have you stay pleased with my work in the future as well!**

* * *

** Target XI: Fighters Assembled**

* * *

"Why?" Bianchi's voice dripped with unadulterated hatred. She grabbed the basked filled with poisonous fruits tighter. "Why is Hayato _here_ instead of the hospital?"

One man either didn't care or heed the warning signs she radiated in her deadly purple color. "Bianchi-chaaaaaan!"

"Back off!" She kicked him square in the face.

Shamal picked himself up with the glaring red print of a shoe sole etched into his face. Driblets of blood escaped his nose. "Hey, now. I'm loaning him a bed only because Reborn asked. The hospital is too dangerous, he said."

Bianchi didn't look anything close to pacified, even at the mention of Reborn's name. Instead she drilled a finger into the doctors labcoat, right where his solar plexus was located. Shamal winced. "I'll look after Hayato. If you're going to get in my way, get out!"

Shamal shrug his shoulders, gently taking her wrist and turning it away from him. "If you say so. He'll recover from one thing and die from the other." His expression was completely blank.

Tsuna paled. "Indeed." Yamamoto laughed despite the seriousness of the statement.

Bianchi spun around, changing targets to vent her frustrations out. "Yamamoto Takeshi, just what is so funny?"

The baseballer backed off a step or two. "E-Eh, me?"

"Depending on the answer, I may kill you." She pushed the basked dangerously close to his face.

"I wasn't really..."

"Wasn't really _what_?"

Tsuna sighed before tuning the conversation out. They'd gathered in the infirmary of the school where Shamal waited for them to drop the beaten Gokudera off. At the same time it was the only safe haven they had left to rest and take a break; let the happenings of the day sink in. Bianchi had appeared sometime later when most of the hectic chaos had subsided.

Yet even with Bianchi all flustered the second she entered the infirmary, it took this one moment of calm for the small boy to fully register the extent of the events unfolding. Looking at Gokudera lying there, attached to a respirator, that's when it truly hit him. _It's all my fault that Gokudera-kun is here. _

_Mine and mine alone.  
_

He exited the infirmary to catch some air. If Yamamoto hadn't been there in time, hadn't pushed him away, cut the strings, even helped him carry Gokudera's body when the ambulance just wouldn't get to them fast enough.

Would he even be standing here, completely unscathed?

Tsuna slid down the nearby wall and tore at his own hair. "I'm such an idiot!" He banged his head against the wall. A prickling throb rewarded him. Crazy. Everyone, everything was crazy, mad. And he was the worst of them all. Because he couldn't help even when he wanted to. "I only got in the way! I shouldn't have gone! I—" Something dripped on his head. He looked up.

"Ciaossu." Reborn in a green, gooey _something_ attached to the ceiling.

"What the heck is that?!"

The baby shrug his shoulders. "Leon's finally settled down and entered a cocoon state."

"Cocoon?!" Now that he took a closer look, he could see the thin outlines of closed eyes and a mouth—wait a moment. "What are you doing at a time like this? Things have turned really bad here and you just disappeared!"

Reborn hopped down and landed gracefully on the smooth tiles. "I was investigating a prison break that happened in Italy."

"A prison break?" Tsuna asked perplexed. What had a prison break to do with this mess they were stuck in?

Reborn nodded. "Yes. Two weeks ago there was a break-out at a high-security prison reserved only for the most dangerous Mafia criminals who have committed grave crimes." Tsuna gulped. When Reborn started a story like that, things just couldn't end well. "The one leading the prison break was a young man named Mukuro." The bad feeling tightened to a knot in his stomach.

The baby started to pace up and down a pair of tiles. "Our information network tracked him down and found that he, along with two subordinates that broke out with him, was headed for Japan. And suddenly three students enroll in Kokuyo Middle School as returning foreign students." Tsuna's blood ran cold. He couldn't be serious. But Reborn continued and with each sentence, Tsuna felt his body freeze up, limb by limb. "As soon as they enrolled, they took control of all the hoodlums. That was 10 days ago." He paused. "The new gang leader's name is Rokudo Mukuro."

The words just spluttered out of him, mouth trying to keep up with the rapid downward spiral of his thoughts. "The same guy who broke out of prison?! Why are they targeting us?" Such scary people couldn't be after a group of middleschoolers for no apparent reason. Then he remembered what Reborn had said, that they were after _him._ It suddenly made sense. Terrifying sense. "Does that mean our opponents are also in the Mafia?"

"The opposite." Tsuna blinked in confusion when Reborn clicked his tongue. "These people have been exiled from the Mafia."

Exiled? A vague memory tugged at the back of his mind, Gokudera yelling something similar...

_Gokudera scoffed. "Yeah, loyalty. She's practically exiled."_

His heart dropped to new depths. How had it slipped his mind? He dreaded the answer as soon as he asked the question but he had to know, even if it was bad news. "Where's Fiona-san?"

He could not believe he'd forgotten about one of his friends.

Reborn shrug his small shoulders nonchalantly. "Who knows?" Tsuna's jaw fell open. _How can you be so relaxed in a situation like this?! _The baby pulled out his own copy of Fuuta's list. "She's ranked sixth so she should've been taken out long before Ryohei. So far nobody's seen or heard anything of her."

"S-She just disappeared?" The baby hitman nodded. Tsuna felt the panic rise and choke him from the inside. If both Ryohei and Gokudera were in hospital and even Hibari hadn't returned, what were the chances of her getting out of this alive and well? "What should I do?!" he yelled. Everything around him was falling apart.

"You'll just have to defeat Mukuro," Reborn said with his ever-squeaky voice.

"There's no way I can beat guys like them!"

"Even if there's no way, you have no choice but to do it now." Tsuna looked up. _Eh?_ "This is a letter for you from the Ninth."

_Eeeeeeh? _"The Ninth?! No way!"

Reborn pulled the letter out of its envelope and started reading: "_'Dear Vongola the 10th. I've heard from Reborn about how much you've grown. It seems like the time has come for you to take the next step. I am giving you an order: capture Rokudo Mukuro and the other two escapees and rescue their captive. I wish you luck.'_ Isn't it great, the Ninth writing to you for the first time?" No, it's not! He didn't want anything to do with the Mafia! He didn't want anything to do with these battles!

"Ah, I forgot. _'P.S. If you refuse, you'll be branded a traitor and will be kille—'"_

That was the cherry on top, and this time it pummeled the whole cake underneath. Tsuna jumped to his feet. "This has nothing to do with me!" And just like that he turned his back on the baby and ran as far, far away from this place as his feet would carry him.

* * *

Rokudo Mukuro lounged on his favorite rotten couch by the windows when the sound of footsteps caught his attention. "Ah~ Is that Chikusa?" he asked into the dark.

The footsteps closed in on him until the boy fell over to his feet, body battered and exhausted. Mukuro leaned down, amusement flickering through his features. "You found the one, hm?"

"Is Kaki-pi back—hyaaa, you look pathetic!" Ken knelt down next to the unmoving body, all toothy smiles as he inspected him close-up. "All covered with blood and burnt to a crisp! How rare, cooked rare." He barely caught the saliva drippings with his arm, cleaning up the corners of his mouth with a swipe that left half the uniform wet. His eyes gleamed hungry. "Looks delicious~"

"Drop, Ken!" The blond went still at the command. "He's just unconscious. There's no way Chikusa would return empty-handed without information on the Vongola." The red of his eyes seemed to brighten at the prospect of them finally achieving what they came to Japan for. "Let's wait for him to wake up."

* * *

Tsuna didn't regret it. Running away.

At least that's what he told himself.

_If you refuse, you'll be branded a traitor and will be killed_—who in their right minds would go along with that?! This had nothing to do with him, he could care less about the hostage, too! These dangerous people couldn't be looking for him. There was nothing in it even if they were. There's nothing to gain from No-Good Tsuna.

Yet why did his heart not stop aching? Tsuna stared at the road ahead, the endless concrete. _I can't work for the Mafia, but at this rate..._

Fiona-san disappeared, Kyoko-chan's brother was in hospital care, Gokudera grounded as well and even Hibari apparently couldn't hold out against the enemy, going after them but never returning. Yamamoto simply had been lucky to not get involved yet but it could've been him at any time during the morning. it was hard to believe all of this had happened over the course of a few hours once the first news had settled in. It simply showed the supremacy of their enemies.

"No matter how much you run, they'll keep coming after you. There's no place left to feel secure." Tsuna startled at the voice but he quickly recognized the childish squeak.

"Reborn!" The baby hitman appeared next to him on a garden wall, tiny feet dangling freely over the ground. Tsuna bit his lip. "What should I do? I can't fight them!" _I'm too scared_, he wanted to add but Reborn probably knew that. His hands couldn't stop trembling.

Reborn's expression was as unreadable as ever. "No, you already know what you should do." But even then, the shadow cast over his eyes suddenly seemed very real. "Don't forget what those guys have already done in order to find you."

His heart constricted painfully. He needn't remind him—he knew what they'd done. When he thought of the way Ryohei was all bandaged up but still laughing for his sister's sake; how sudden the vice-prefect had been turned bloody and why Gokudera had been hurt into unconsciousness in the first place. He could recall it in all clarity.

"That's..." _And if I keep on running there'll be only more victims. _He pressed his lips together and furrowed his brows. "I think what they're doing is wrong, involving everyone like that. Mukuro makes me angry!" Then he looked down, staring at his feet. "But even Hibari-san hasn't come back. There's no way No-Good Tsuna could defeat a guy like that. It's impossible."

The baby hummed in thought. "But that's not what the people around you think." _Eh?_

"Oh! There you are." The sound of footsteps interrupted his line of thoughts. Tsuna turned around with a beating heart. That voice... "Let me go with you, Tenth!" The silver hair was clean, no trace of red left, body standing as firm on his feet as though nothing had happened. "This time I'm gonna kill that spectacles freak." The wild grin was brilliant.

"Gokudera-kun?!" Tsuna couldn't believe his eyes. "What about your wounds?"

As if on cue the shiny appearance staggered, his face turning sick and weak and blue. "What, those little scratches?" Tsuna's jaw fell in shock. Don't play them down!

Another pair of feet stepped up to them. "I'm going, too, Tsuna!" The small boy spun around to spot the baseballer smiling his usual merry smile. "I heard it from the kid. You're playing Mafia with another school."

The corner of his lips twitched. _You were tricked, Yamamoto._

"I'll go, too." The sultry-deep voice could only belong to—"I'm worried about Hayato." Bianchi's sudden appearance on the street sent the already sick boy vaulting into the ground, giving in to his wounds. _Exactly the reverse effect. _But it was too late to do anything, least of all save his friend. Besides, to reprimand Bianchi to the face only resulted in an early death.

Reborn hopped down the wall and smiled up at them. "We've got the people we need to charge into enemy territory now." Tsuna blanched.

"Hold on a minute, we don't even know where these guys are!"

A suspicious glimmer flashed through his baby-black eyes. "Even if she's not with us right now, our informant did her part of the job. Before you guys even noticed something was off, she was on the scene and working. I have all the information that we would need." _Sunglasses glint in the light. "Information is my job." _Right, Fiona did say something along those lines. But could it really be that she had worked on it all alone all this time?

Yamamoto placed a hand on his shoulder, offering him a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. Fiona-chan is tough. She'll be fine."

Reborn nodded. "Yes, we should worry more about their hostage. He should be there as well."

"Hostage?" Tsuna gulped. Who could it be?

"Someone you know very well."

* * *

**Vinci, Tuscany**

* * *

Alessio was a patient man. You have to be in the forger business.

Sure, things can grow hectic, especially when someone orders forged passports into no-entry warzones for a group of twenty. He'd usually task one of his newest apprentices to take off some of the workload and everything else righted itself in such cases. It was a good business for someone that didn't want to get involved on the frontlines; someone who didn't like spreading his opinion regarding politics around; someone who didn't enjoy sticking his head into someone's else pie.

He had Fiona for that.

The previously inactive light flashed green when the stranger spoke. "Why are you so interested in this case, MASK?" The woman drew out the name with the slightest purr.

Alessio cursed under his breath. For all it is worth: he didn't like the situation he was in. Oh no. Nonetheless he leaned closer to the microphone connected to the voice changer and activated it.

_If someone keeps asking questions—MASK is haughty. Keeps his distance and reasons to himself until the right moment because he knows he has the upper hand. **Always. **_"Why should you be bothered to know? It'll just weigh your pretty head down." _Click_, the microphone settled back to mute. He felt sweat form on his temple. Screw the previous statement—he _hated _his current position. This was Fiona's playground. Whatever she had going with these people, it was dangerous and he thoroughly regretted not ratting her out when he still had the chance.

She'd just shrug it off. That's probably the reason she did these jobs and not he. He valued any chance at normalcy and the prospect of raising a family one day that didn't involve crazed, coffeine-addicted informants constantly two-timing on their every contact and contract. And let's not even get started on the other adoptive kid in his care.

While Alessio was born into the Mafia—and you never leave once you're in—he'd taken his time to study in France. The fine arts and art history. It was a time of normalcy for him: he enjoyed faking originals until it was impossible to distuingish where his work began and the ancient artist's intention ended.

Well, as normal as Mafia-bred gets you. You have to develop _some_ form of deficit to make it big in the Mafia. Anyone else is lying and should be pointed to Poison Scorpion Bianchi for some correcting. Working, living, breathing the Mafia was a maddening act.

And Alessio was a patient man despite it all.

An informant was seldom alone, despite popular belief. Fiona could handle simple, even intricate, information-gathering on her own. She could collapse entire databases of information when she wanted something to disappear simply because, and he quotes, _you can't stop a tsunami from drowning you._ With the age of sixteen she'd reached her peak, the name _La Pescatrice_ known Mafia-wide as the Vongola Reconnaissance Branch's last line of defense. Anything past that line and CEDEF starts kicking in, though that's a secret only a selected few know. Alessio hadn't known. That is until Fiona stuck her head where it didn't belong and fished out things she shouldn't. He liked being valued for his work, not bribed for his silence. It tends to shatter his cool.

Yet when someone asks you to find out something about mysterious culprit [x], whose whereabouts you don't know and who therefore lives in the unknown location of [y], while constantly harassing you in a seemingly random factor [z]—no informant handles that kind of load alone. It requires the same degree of assistance as his no-entry warzone does: you call in your personal network of spies.

The female known to him only under her alias _Interludium _hummed on her side of the screen. The rest of the anonymous personae kept quiet, listening and weighing each word exchanged. "The, let's say, _coincidence_ is striking, is it not?" She wholly ignored the compliment on her looks. He never liked dating women online.

_Keep it cool._ Just keep it cool and patient and haughty. He leaned forward again. "I had not been aware of one. Do enlighten me."

"Your recent downtime in correlation to a certain other person's resurfacing. She currently resides in Namimori, does she not? The target of attack." A brief pause. "Openly at that. It's been a while since we picked her up on our radars once again."

How Alessio hated working with Fiona's networks. Especially the illegal ones. Why did he ever take her in as his niece again? He should burn the documents.

_They'll try to pressure you, don't worry. It's a routine. They're wary of his knowledge. _"Ah," he drawled out. "Your suspicions are warranted. We all know her preferred guise and trickery, after all." The silence stretching on afterward tore at his patience but he couldn't give in. He had to stay the only virtue he possessed and briefly wondered how far she'd shaped MASK's personality after his. Just in case she disappears without a trace. Like right now.

They caved in first, as he wanted. "You would not deny the possibility of a _spy_ among our ranks then?" Interludium punctured the word 'spy' like a needle skin.

Considering the spy is the mysterious information broker she was just talking to. Yeah, definitely. "I would never dare to imply such denial in the first place. In our line of work, safety is an illusion." He paused for drama. "Much too costly a mistake to make." Also this stilted way of talking would break his tongue by the end of the day. His eyes slid over the flow of information on another monitor, the steady updates to the live map of Japan. The arrows leading to and away from the isle, each an army of their own. "One the Vongola is paying already."

"A small loophole in comparison to other weaknesses in their defense we know about. So it has me curious, this small case." She sounded almost snippy, the way she disregarded the topic all the while trying to uphold a sense of superiority even through a monitor. "You still haven't answered me. Why the sudden interest? Why the first string?"

He allowed himself only the briefest pause, one look cast to the side. MASK's network policy was simple: whoever he deemed valuable, he would recruit. The first string—15 people, judging from the state of the chat room—were the best of the best: hackers and spies, pros at espionage, ruthless in their tactics and _very_ effective. Why they would gather under his name, a neutral information broker, he had never been certain. Some of them were mercenaries. But the rest? They hung around him for a single reason:

MASK is the single-best backdoor into the Mafia business. He was considered the counter-part to the infamous La Pescatrice, the last line of defense when it came to secrets.

Not that anyone apart from the master forger knew that they were one and the same person. The tug-of-war is puppeteered by yours truly.

Alessio took a deep breath. It's time to initiate stage Seneca. "She has been in that city for quite some time now. What is she doing, I wondered, so I watched. Why is she not welcomed back, so I dug around. Why does nobody fix the holes her crumbling defense leaves open, so I abused them for personal gain." He shouldn't be doing this. Her plan was ridiculous. "This is what I found. Perhaps you should take a proper look at these files. Your perspective on the mission might change." He sent two folders, watched the download bar speed up to max. "I hope to gain answers to all these questions. And this boy will pave me the way."

The female gasped. "This is...! How did you know that the Ranking Boy is involved—?"

Let the tug-of-war begin. On another note, he hoped _Nono_ knew of this operation.

Alessio let the arrogance drip off his next words. "Questioning me again? You realize this boy will belong to me when this mission is over. It should be in your best interest to stay your inane inquiries and continue working." He mimicked her way of words, turning suspicion against him into greed for something else entirely. Fiona better had those pattern right. Prior to this, these people had had only the vaguest idea of Fuuta's existence, one of the best-kept secrets of the Mafia world. He was a gold mine when it came to information, his rankings nearly infallible.

And these people all had networks of their own, they'd want him in their possession now that they knew he was more than just a legend. Fiona's plan was to bet on time and greed as a factor: if they weren't able to mobilize their networks in time to intercept him, they'd have to work with him to the end. Their only chance to get to Fuuta was to try to track down MASK afterward. So they had to do that first to them, too.

_We can turn the tables and place all blame on him once this is over._

She never wanted to figure out how the culprits found out about Fuuta in the first place. That mystery would have to unravel itself once they were caught. No, Fiona instead made sure to clean up after them so nobody would follow. And if she had to lay down a lure first to see who she'd attract, she'd do so.

If somebody found out about this, no amount of explaining would get them out. If they didn't manage to arrest these people, each and every _anonymous_ one of them, they would be in trouble. If MASK still existed afterward, and someone managed to trace him back to Fiona, they'd be in huge trouble.

It suddenly came to him that she never explained the latter part of her plan. You know, the part where they catch the bad guys. Alessio actually blanched at that.

A young male rudely interrupted his line of thoughts, green voice light glowing in rapid turns with the speed of his rant. "The Vongola Reconnaissance Branch just made their move! They're dogging our trail. How did they...?"

Interludium barked at him. "Check for malign code. Don't let them find our locations!"

"Already underway."

And then a whirlwind of voices started up. "My files, everything we just researched...!"

"What's going on?!"

Low and raspy, a different male chose his moment to answer. "They didn't hack us." Alessio grasped the edge of his chair, heart beating up to his throat. "We hacked into their system. Their main one."

Interludium wasn't one for jokes, apparently. "If you have something to say, say it!"

The male chuckled deeply. "A cheap trick but we got taken by surprise. She was reinstated but powerless." Alessio watched as the live map blacked out, symbols racing across the screen, his computer booting up programs without his consent. It was nothing but a colorful mess of numbers, letters and symbols, as unreadable as it was random, and from the sounds of it, it was happening to everyone in the chat room.

"What happened?" he asked into the voice-changing microphone. At the same time he couldn't keep his eyes off the full _Download Complete_ bar. The files he'd sent. Could it be coincidence? One by one the people dropped out of the chats, probably to destroy their hardware and run.

"Smuggled a piece of code within some of our researched data so it'd rewrite everything we have into this gibberish. It's all gone. What was it again? She _sunk the ship_ in fishy terminology." He snorted, found this undeniably funny. "Like running is gonna help now. She probably has logged entries of the access points used within the loopholes, too. Hell, I bet her swarm let us in on purpose so she could track us."

"But why now?" Interludium asked, voice shaking with restrained anger. "This has been going on for months!"

Alessio chose to answer. His head spun with all sorts of numbers. "The code reacted to a keyword." The moment Fuuta's files were shared, Fiona's trap had sprung. The files were rigged to explode in their faces!

The raspy voice chuckled once more. It was only six of them left now. "For someone with a crippled network, the only way to get hold of information is to steal them from others."

Again, Interludium did not laugh. If anything she sounded desperate. "Nobody could've known about this operation, about the stakes. Trace it back to its origin!" Alessio watched with fascination as the tug-of-war reached its peak, double-edged sword striking in two places at once. Fiona's playground indeed. High risk but also a high reward.

"The IP-adress is bouncing across the whole globe; companies, banks, universities. Probably a dozen more to act as proxies, I can't keep up fast enough."

It was the raspy voice who gave the final blow. "Don't you get it? The backdoor was probably already _in_ our systems by the time this operation started. She silently kept track of everything we were doing, who we were contacting and what information was leaking out without interfering _for months_. Until she caught a real big fish and decided it was time to act—you, MASK." The words slammed into their faces with the brute force of a wrecking ball. "Simply put: that woman was never gone in the first place. I bet you those loopholes were just for show; a lure," echoing Fiona's words in a wholly different setting. "So, yeah. We have a major leak, lads."

She used both Fuuta and her declining reputation as a lure. No, even the years-old identity of MASK was one. All that work, only to reach a single peak before falling apart in one giant explosion.

As if on cue the screen with the messy symbols blacked out once more only to turn white afterward. Staring at him was a simple quote, written black on white.

_Alium silere quod voles, primus sile. _

If you wish another to keep your secret, first keep it yourself.

**— Seneca**

The people previously quiet turned up the volume, exchanging heated blows and accusations the instant the words sunk in. Interludium finally exited the chat, curses lost in translation halfway into the commotion. Alessio leaned back and celebrated the sudden turn of events. Nobody knew she was the snag on both sides of the investigation. Knowing where her loyalties lay, yet keeping the spy in the system, she was both attacker and defender in this case. One to make sure the assaults are stopped, the other to clean up after her and keep the honorary title of _last line of defense_ burning high and mighty. She'd blatantly abused an illegal identity's information network to get information as quick as possible in an attempt to save lives, and now she'd cast aside that identity just as easily because it was past its use.

Any moment and Vongola would know the location of not only the hackers and spies but also the attackers in Japan. And they'd think it was The Fisher planting a spy that caught these guys. Alessio couldn't keep the relieved laughter from bubbling up. Because The Fisher is MASK and MASK is The Fisher. The greatest backdoor is also the greatest defense and it's all veiled in impenetrable shadows.

He was a patient man and this world too volatile for his liking. He hated working in her stead, act as the middleman, lie to authorities and keep secrets he shouldn't be involved in in the first place. That's why he had Fiona for that sort of thing.

You can't stop a tsunami from drowning you. So cocky, but so well deserved.

* * *

_She resists a groan. He can hear that. "This whole assault aside, there is the fact that someone managed to get a hold of Fuuta's rankings. Did you manage to contact him?"_

_"No." He's mysteriously vanished and Alessio dreads her next words already. Something rattles in the background, a loud shriek._

_She doesn't dwell on it too long. "Alright, so someone kidnapped Fuuta instead. Wonderful." Her breath is ragged, he notices. She curses under her breath. "I'm stressed right now. Is it noticeable?"_

_"Very."_

_"Shit." The rustle of bushes and he wonders how much stress could make her forgo her vanity. That must leave scratches for sure. "I'm going to kill someone when this is over." Ah, she's not completely forgotten herself then. "Anyhow, what I meant to say is, that you're going to send my files on Fuuta over to MASK's network."_

_The tea he's been drinking sputters all over his papers. "_ _ _**That's** your plan? Are you kidding me?"_ _

__There's a harsh bark and an even harsher **shh!** and only after the dog whimpers into the phone does she speak up again. _"Nobody can find out that the information is **not** coming firsthand from MASK. It'll have to look like he did his own research. His network operates outside Mafia law and if they knew it was me, I'd be shot down on the spot. MASK was involved in some heavy anti-Mafia campaigns, after all." A pause filled with happy panting. What the? "But since someone outside the Mafia managed to get a hold of Fuuta and is currently in Namimori, we can turn the tables and place all blame on him once this is over. That way, there'll be nothing left of Fuuta. All the bad guys would be caught."_

_"And then you'd say you planted men into their ranks to spy on their research instead of giving out confidential information yourself, I get it. It would look as the people who are attacking you contacted MASK for information beforehand. And The Fisher is hot on their trails to save the day. Nobody will know how truly dangerous these guys are while the defense stays a strong as ever." Alessio curses nonetheless. "You're breaking the Omertá with this. I should rat you out."_

_He can almost imagine her rolling her eyes. _ _"When did I ever do something to compromise our family?"_

_He grits his teeth, backed into a corner. Just then the live map narrows down to a position; just then Fiona curses in pain, rustle of leaves growing hectic, frantic. "I can't keep running forever, Alessio!" A loud crash, a soft but forceful voice, something whirring. "Seriously, respect your elders, Barcode-Boy!"  
_

_Alessio doublechecks, fingers typing away. It's all or nothing now. "Kokuyo Par—"  
_

_The phone cuts off._

* * *

**Namimori Jr. High**

* * *

The mosquito buzzed almost inaudibly as it flew off the needle and out of the open windows of the infirmary. Shamal gathered the remainder of his medicine and recapped the bottles, dropping the needle into a jar filled with dozen others. His eyes lingered on the container for a moment longer. "This is coated with some serious poison." He shook his head as he remembered the boy's plea, continuing to wrap up his work. "For such a situation there really is no choice, huh."

Just as he was about to head out, the faintest curse reached past the doors and into his office.

"That little chickenshit _bastard_."

Shamal couldn't deny the grin its proper place on his face. "This lovely temper can only be—"

She stopped him with a deadly glare before he even had the chance to embrace her. The caramel hair hung loose and unbraided for once, going just past her breasts in messy waves, strands cloggy with blood. "You better have a shot ready or I'll fire one at you."

"You could shoot me all day long—_mmmph!_" Her hand clamped over his mouth, green eyes pulsing with anger, further enhanced by the lacerated wounds paving a way across her face.

But the torn lips moved to speak a deathly prayer he could not withstand looking at. "I'm _this_ close to killing someone, Shamal." She pressed her face closer, filling his whole vision. "Do you know how much effort goes into this look ever day and night? The price of these clothes? He ripped off my fucking _hair!_ What is the world going to think of me if I show up with tattered hair! My first impressions are _ruined_."

Shamal had never seen green flames before. Her eyes came quite close to it the way she pressed him into the wall in a very uncomfortable angle, flames licking for revenge. "You got something else to say, smartass?"

What did he hear circulating among school once? Queen of Ogres? But that would be disastrous.

Instead he smiled his killer smile, carefully holding her at appropiate woman-ready-to-kill-distance by placing his hands on her shoulders. Women could be very dangerous in this state. "We better hurry this up. I've been briefed to see to a tiny mission by a similarly tiny baby."

Fiona returned a wicked grin. "Fine by me. I want payback."

* * *

**A/N:**

**Whoop! She's resurfaced! We found her! Oh god she's turned mad but we found her!  
**

**I hope things are clearer now with the whole informant-network-business. ;) Reborn did say she works best when placed under stress. She's been working on the case_ even while on the run and technically missing. _I dare you to go back a chapter and compare dialogue! I was simply leaving out the crucial bits. :p I wonder what happened to the dog. We shall find out!  
**

**Wait a moment. How did she actually _survive_ the attack?**

**Hope you enjoyed it so far! Leave a comment if you did. See you again in the next chapter! :)**

_**EDIT 19/03/15: Felt like adding some information tidbits that may be interesting. **_

**_A _**_proxy server **acts as an intermediary ****for requests from **clients **(e.g. your computer) seeking resources from other servers. Your computer connects to the proxy in need of information and files and the proxy conveys it to another server/computer in question before returning the required information back to you. A casual use for proxies is in countries where certain services (such as youtube) are restricted or even forbidden. If you want to see the videos despite, you'll have to connect to youtube through an American proxy for example. Your computer asks the proxy for the video, the proxy forwards it to the American server (changing your **IP**) and returns the video unrestricted back to you.  
**_

_**_**The **_**_IP_**_** acts as a unique internet identification of your computer and makes it easy to locate it, wherever it may be in the world. **_Disguising your IP-Adress through numerous proxies (as used in this chapters) is done so that others cannot trace back your location since they have to go through lots of fake IPs first. By then you can be long gone.**_


	12. From Ashes

**I don't own ********_Katekyō Hitman Reborn!_****.**

* * *

** Target XII: From Ashes**

* * *

Now that they were on enemy grounds, Tsuna wasn't as sure whether what they were doing was even partially right and good and most of all:_ sane._

"Whoa, this is really cool! This Mafia Roleplay is super real!" Yamamoto caught his gaze and gave him a goofy grin along with a thumbs-up. _Don't do these kinds of things, Yamamoto. I'm telling you, this is not a game._ Tsuna felt like crying waterfalls over the boy's naïvety.

"Tsuna." Reborn had nestled himself neatly on the ignorant baseballer's shoulder. "Since you've been here before, you should lead the way." What nerve!

"Eeeh? The last time I came here was really long ago!" He sighed when he remembered that it was no use to try and fight with the baby. Instead he took a good look of his surroundings. Kokuyo Park—he'd been here once when he was little, a vague memory of the park's old glory still a stark contrast to its current state: decaying, dirty, vacated. He squinted his eyes as something caught on in his mind, the distance of the stairs to the entrance. "If I remember correctly, there was an exhibit with flora and fauna around here."

Bianchi was instantly on the spot to make him look bad. "There's no such thing here. Your eyes are as useful as knotholes." Suddenly he knew why she loved that baby hitman to death. They were both the same kind of mean.

Yamamoto bent down to inspect something in the ground far off to the side. "What's this?" Tsuna came closer, tip-toeing in an attempt to look over both Reborn and Yamamoto to see what they were looking at. "Looks like animal footprints. Fresh, too." Eh? _Animals?_ His heart jumped as high as his throat. Wasn't there a nearby zoo garden—

Reborn's voice suddenly cut through the silence like a sharp knife. "Watch out, something's coming." Tsuna spun around but he was too slow to react.

Out of the bushes he spotted movement but when he blinked the shadow was already soaring through the skies, aiming for Yamamoto. "I've got you now!" it screeched.

Yamamoto was quick: he jumped back to dodge just in time to avoid the first hit. The ground where he'd been at mere seconds ago was clawed open, dirt flung about. But the moment he landed, he slipped, falling hard on his back. His eyes darted around to catch a glimpse of his enemy but just as he did, the ground gave way under his weight.

He fell. And the shadow followed right after him.

"Yamamoto!" Tsuna exclaimed in panic as he stumbled towards the hole in the ground. "What was that?" he asked Gokudera who arrived next to him, sliding to a halt before he could fall after the baseballer.

Even in his face, confusion took the upper hand. "It _looked_ like a person."

Reborn and Bianchi popped up next to them, heads looming into the darkness beneath. "Tsuna's memory was right after all," Reborn started. "The flora and fauna exhibit was buried by the mudslide." He pointed at the hole's edges; sharp glass stuck out in prongs where it had been broken by the fall.

"So we're standing on the roof!" But that meant that Yamamoto was...

Gokudera leaned dangerously far into the darkness. "Oi, are you alright, baseball nut?"

Yamamoto finally moved to a sitting position, hand holding his head as he winced in pain. _He fell really far, _Tsuna thought with worry. The landing must've hurt a lot. But Yamamoto wouldn't be Yamamoto if he let such things deter him. He looked up into the light and laughed. "That surprised me!"

Tsuna's lips twitched in disbelief. _That guy..._ "This is no time to be laughing—You're holding us up, idiot!" Gokudera instantly shifted back to his usual insults, too. What is it with these people and not being to take anything seriously?

A loud growl interrupted their bicker, coming from the depths of the dome. Panic rose up like gall. The animals. They must've really escaped and lived up here!

"We can't do a thing from up here. We were deliberately separated." Tsuna gave Reborn an incredulous look. Did he mean it? Then what about—

"Welcome, Yamamoto Takeshi." The growl turned into heavy breathing, coupled with the sound of saliva being slicked up. Whoever it was, he was moving through the dark, closer towards Yamamoto. "Kaki-pii's still asleep, and I've been bored without any orders." The dirt gathered on his clothes as he stepped closer, out into the cone of light. The olive uniform instantly gave away who he was, grinning madly, licking his lips in anticipation. "And then along comes my prey, all by himself. I'm super happy."

And before they knew it the boy's canines grew enormous, saliva ran down his chin and Yamamoto's bat-turned-sword was shred to pieces.

* * *

The door slammed shut behind her. Snug black jeggings snaked up long legs, collarbone adorned with necklaces of gold and wood, gems and feathers. A hand flung the braided hair back in a long arc, pulled the navy blue blazer into proper form.

"You look lovely, Fiona-chaaaan—!"

Bracelets jingled when she stopped the doctor, hand to his face. His hands groped after air. "What about being pressed on time?" She rose a brow behind her sunglasses.

Shamal leaned back into the door, sultry grin in place. "We'll be fine."

"You make it sound so wrong." She stretched her limbs. "Let's head out. We got criminals to beat up."

* * *

_"I have something important in my life besides playing Mafia."_

_The stone finds its target and the wolf-boy huffs and howls in pain. _

Tsuna bit his lip as he watched Bianchi do her job, bandaging Yamamoto's arm with a concentrated expression. "Are you alright?" he asked the baseballer eventually once the female had tied the tightest knot she could manage.

Yamamoto grinned, moving the bandaged limb around tentatively, testing his strained limits. "Yeah, nothing to be concerned about." He turned his gaze towards Reborn. "Sorry, kid. I broke your bat." Tsuna sighed. He wouldn't have had to, had he not been pushed into the dome after him. The small boy stared at his feet. That wasn't right. He should've moved away from the attack—only then this wouldn't have happened.

_"There's nothing more important than a friend, right? You taught me that when you jumped after me that time on the roof."_

Why did he let himself be saved every time but never did anything right on his own?

Reborn didn't blink as he responded, not even a tinge of remorse lining his words. "Don't worry about it." He picked something up from beneath his feet. "Because I have a spare."

Yamamoto blinked surprised, then laughed. "Oh, thanks!" Tsuna couldn't believe his eyes._ He's got spares...? Just lying around like that?_

Gokudera's hand found his shoulder and he clasped down tightly. "At this rate, beating Mukuro is going to be a breeze, Tenth!" Even he offered him one of his rare reassuring grins. Tsuna returned it hesitantly. It was true. If there were only three escapees, they'd beaten one already. And the other was weakened by Gokudera's earlier attacks. They stood a chance. A real fighting chance.

Manical laughter startled both boys and they spun their heads around to the source of the sound: the hole?! "You know nothing!" the echo travelled up, intensifying the growl in his words by twofold.

Gokudera exchanged a glance with Tsuna. "It's the animal freak."

He nodded. "But he was totally out just a second ago!"

"I was faking~ I used my Opossum Channel!" Ken yelled out from beneath. "But I thought about it. No matter what I tell you guys there won't be a problem! Because there's no way you can defeat Mukuro-san! All of you are going to die before even seeing his face!"

Gokudera knelt next to the hole. "What did you say? Eat sand!" He flicked some dirt into the dark, an angry cough following his rude actions.

"You're too soft, Hayato." Bianchi appeared next to him, kicking a large rock down. Tsuna froze in shock. Did she just...? Did she really just...?

She knelt next to her brother. "I wonder if those twitching movements are him faking death again." She did! _This person is damn scary!_

Seemingly unperturbed by the sight, Reborn turned towards the small boy still not able to look away from the dangerous female. She was still taunting the poor guy down below. "He's right. Don't underestimate Rokudo Mukuro." A picture flutters to his feet, catching Tsuna's attention. This is...? Reborn nodded.

"Yeah, the one in the middle is Rokudo Mukuro."

* * *

"Did our Reconnaissance boys find something out?"

Fiona nodded, folding her brandnew phone close. "The VRB compared my stolen info with our archives. Johnny just confirmed that MASK's is more reliable than ours."

He slurped some mango smoothie through his straw. "So you're saying the records we have on him are faked?"

Fiona nodded, playing around with her own straw absent-mindedly. Banana flavor. "Not all but most. That guy on the mug shot? Not Rokudo Mukuro. They caught a glimpse of him on an airport's camera. He's forwarded me the rest of the escapee's files as well." She bit down on the straw's end. "That guy's a pretty nifty one, though. Haven't heard much of him before and what there is, is pretty well disguised." She gave Shamal a sideway glance. "Why are we drinking smoothies now?"

One of his hands sneaked around her shoulder, pressing her closer to him. "Ah, it's been too long since we had a proper date, don't you think?"

She gently twisted his arm backwards and slipped out of his grasp. "We never had one to begin with."

"Then we should start!" He shook his mishandled hand. The action gave way to something in the pocket of his labcoat. She rose her brow once more. _Medicine. Mosquitos. _He caught her gaze and shrug his shoulders. "Hey, you're emergeny-stitched together. Not the proudest job to do on a hurting lady."

She touched the band-aid on her cheek, remembering just how she got it in the first place. Instantly her anger flared up again. "Then we make them pay." She stormed off. Shamal reached out after her.

"This is the part where you're supposed to fall in love with me. Wait up~"

* * *

Tsuna panted in exhaustion as they reached the end of the staircase. Had there always been this many stairs to climb? He couldn't remember. "We've been walking quite a while. Can we take a break?" he asked the rest and pleaded inwardly for it to happen.

Yamamoto considered first. "That's true. I'm getting hungry, too." _Well, you're the one that's fought and defeated somebody, after all. _If anyone had to be hungry it would have to be him.

Gokudera also seemed inclined to the idea. Then again he was more often than not inclined towards anything Tsuna said. "Let's use the opportunity to have lunch as well then, Tenth!"

"O-Okay." He was glad. They all needed some rest it seemed.

Before he knew it, the food was laid bare on some nearby stone benches on the upper platform. Yamamoto stood behind one like a bartender behind a counter, smiling all the while as he unpacked the contents. "I'll pass out the sushi and tea." Tsuna's mouth watered up instantly at the words. His family sushi! The food had to be good then.

"Out of the way, Yamamoto Takeshi." Bianchi shoved the tall boy rudely away. Recently, these two have been going off like fireworks. At times (like these) it was even worse than he and Gokudera—or Gokudera and Fiona at that.

Bianchi leaned forward, holding something out to him. "Here, Tsuna. Poison Bug Soup for travel. It'll warm you right up," she explained sweetly, urging the mug towards his hands. Tsuna backed off in fear._ I think that'd make my body go cold rather than warm._

Then suddenly the soup started bubbling violently, contents spilling over the rim. "Hot!" Bianchi yelled as she let go—just one second later the whole thing exploded, green gooey substance splashing all over the place. Drops caught in his shirt, instantly burning through the cloth. _Is this Poison Cooking, too?!_ "We're being attacked!" was Bianchi's answer to that. Just then the sushi exploded in the same manner. Gokudera and Yamamoto ducked out of the way.

Yamamoto peeked over the stone. "Where's it coming from?" He quickly ducked when one of the drinking bottles exploded in a rain of plastic, sharp ends whizzing past him.

"This sound..." Gokudera pressed his back into the stone when more food came raining down on them. On the next attack he noticed a high pitch from somewhere to his right, steadily rising with the boiling contents on the stone table. "There!" He jumped from his hiding place and aimed his dynamite sticks for the old, fallen apart building. His own explosions sent debris crumbling off the walls and smoke rise from the ground.

The group watched the smoke dissipate, atmosphere as taut as a string. The remaining gray carried over a light, girly voice.

"What a lame weapon." Then their sight was cleared finally and revealed to them the small form of a girl with red hair and violet eyes giving them a snobby look, staring down at them as if they were insects. "Why did Kaki-pi and Ken have trouble with guys like you?" Tsuna's eyes fell on the uniform she wore; a familiar olive from head to toe—

"That uniform!" Gokudera thought of the same thing.

"But that means—!"

The unknown girl gave them a hard stare, mustering them. A clarinet spun lazy circles between her thin fingers. "You guys are pretty shabby-looking, even for mafiosi."

Gokudera's eye twitched angrily. "Wha—! You're wearing a school uniform, you know!" He pointed an accusing finger in her direction. Tsuna really wasn't sure whether they should be provoking these people like that.

She crossed her arms. "_Hmpf._ If it weren't for Mukuro-chan's orders, I wouldn't have dressed up like this."

Gokudera's eyes widened. Then he looked to Tsuna. "That means there's more than three of them...!"

"Ahh~ All I see are men with no brains. The sight makes me sad." She clicked her tongue displeased. "If I had a choice I'd date Mukuro-chan. Men with money are best after all." She paused, clarinet stopped spinning. "Well, all I have to do is kill all of you, then go on a shopping spree for purses and clothes. And if I send you to the afterlife," she placed the instrument to her lips. "Then maybe you can look for proper bags and suits, as well!"

* * *

"Shamal."

He looked up. "Yes, Fiona-chan?"

"Eyes away from my ass, aim for the sky." She pointed at a nearby tree. "Don't you think there's a few birds too many?" The yellow bundle of fluff bounced from one branch to the other. Three others followed next to it.

His expression turned serious. "We should postpone our date."

* * *

Tsuna dared a closer look at the poor girl lying to his feet. Purple, horrible smelling goo dripped from her lips.

She was completely out of it. Bianchi truly _is_ scary.

A creepy laugh came from nowhere and caught his attention. From the corner of his eyes he saw the others spun around all the same, back to back in case of another ranged attack. "I'm quite glad that you defeated that greedy little M.M. girl."

Tsuna's eyes shifted left and right. "Who-Who's there?!" He gulped. So far the enemy had thrown all sorts of attacks against them. They couldn't be careful enough. Instead of a dangerous opponent, his eyes fell on a middle-aged, small man in an oversized coat, standing off to the sides of the battle ground. His posture was rigid, hands in the pockets of his coat. But the way he smiled...

He cocked his head to the side, creepy smile still in place, not quite reaching the eyes in a natural manner. "Now, now, calm down and look at this." The walls behind him turned to two TV, a beamer projecting the screens from somewhere. Tsuna frowned. What did he have in store for them—

If possible the smile stretched even further when the images flickered to life, showing two all-too familiar face on the screens. "Your dear friends are my next targets." _Kyoko-chan! Haru! _But why?!_  
_

Gokudera took a step forward, fist raised in anger. "You bastard, what are you up to?!"

A bird nestled itself in the crook of his high collar. It didn't help to alleviate from his irritating, creepy expressions. "My name is Birds. Like the name suggest, my hobby is keeping birds." His tone was polite, steady, but with the tiniest amount of excitement lining the words. He flung one arm towards the screens. "The images you see here are being transmitted to us by my cute little birds. They have cameras attached to them." Tsuna had a bad feeling as he watched the girls go about their business in Namimori; Haru learning for upcoming tests and Kyoko talking with her friend, just finished with visiting her injured brother.

Suddenly his heart started hammering against his ribcage. He spotted something to the back of the girls, moving, crawling its way forward.

"Who are the guys behind them?!" Yamamoto exclaimed in the same moment, catching them as well. For once the grin was wiped off his face, replaced with unaltered worry.

Birds cocked his head slightly in affirmation. "So you noticed them. They are twin hitmen, loyal to me. The Bloody Twins they are called." An excited sound escaped his lips, something between a moan and a hum. "They may look adorable but they were such ferocious serial killers that while in prison, they were not let out of solitary confinement even once."

Tsuna felt the color drain from his face. "What did you say?!" Birds raised a long, bony finger up.

"Please watch. They want to play with your friends so badly that they can't help themselves." The Bloody Twins' bodies twisted, barely able to constrain themselves from doing something, always keeping a few feet distance from their targets, long sharp nails clicking against each other, as though ready to just slice them open—oh god, he couldn't think that through. He mustn't!

It was Bianchi that found her words back first. She slanted her eyes in Birds' direction. "What are you planning to do?"

"Nothing," he answered almost innocently. His arm made a swiping gesture. "As long as you obey me."

"Quit fucking around!" Gokudera was by his side in the blink of an eye, hand grabbing for hold on the coat, the other clenched together and aiming for the elder male's capped head. "They have nothing to do with this! If you don't call your hitmen off, I'm going to tear you apart!"

Suddenly the grin was gone and Tsuna wished it back, despite its creepiness. This guy's serious expression was even worse. "You best not touch me. Look, your friends," The assassins were suddenly all too close to both the girls, fingers almost grazing their necks. Birds' expression turned wild, mad. "I won't be responsible for what happens to them. I can give them orders even if you don't release me. So you better not touch me again!"

Gokudera cursed but gave in and retreated. They were in a pinch, worse than before.

"Well then, let us begin," he pronounced each syllable each. "I want you to give the Vongola Tenth Boss a real pounding, please." The outburst at the sentence was imminent.

"What?!"

"No way!"

Tsuna shrank back further. Birds' smile did not, however. "You would like these two to reach home safely, now, wouldn't you? In that case please suffer a beating until I see blood."

Gokudera's temper went through with him, face contorted both in anger and loathing but radiating helplessness. "This is totally one-sided!"

The creepy laugh again. A shudder went down Tsuna's spine. "Well, it's okay with me even if you refuse." That smile. That horrible, creepy smile. "My other hobby, you see is seeing people get frightened. Seeing others' unguarded, sad little faces excites me so!" He looked up to the screens. "Now that I've said it I really want to try it out~" The assassins closed in again, quiet shrieks of excitement flooding them just as much as the elder male.

"You sick—!" Gokudera grit his teeth together to keep himself in check.

Bianchi did not, however. "You're a sick pervert." It only further stretched the smile, made the nails come closer and closer, brush past strands of hair off Kyoko's already short hair...!

Tsuna couldn't take it. "We'll do it—_oof!_" The moment the words left his mouth, Bianchi's fist greeted him so harshly, his head snapped to the other side.

Gokudera looked ready to murder her. Tsuna held his bleeding nose. "Sis, what are you doing?!"

"From the very beginning I came to Japan to kill Tsuna, remember? Lucky for me that I have this chance now." She said it with a straight face, void of emotions. Tsuna bit down on his lip. That's right... huh? It didn't hurt all that much, despite the bleeding. "I haven't been the bad guy lately..." she whispered barely audible. The boys grinned in relief, able to outsmart the opponent like that.

Birds clapped. "Very nice, you cleared the first task. If you can clear the next request, the two girls will go free." _Another one?! _It must've shown on his face because he was quick to catch it. "Who said there'd be only one?" This time he pulled out a long dagger, elbow length, blade dripping with poison. It was back, the smile, the sweet excitement pouring through his words. "Please stab Sawada-kun with this all the way through to the hilt."

Not even Gokudera said a word in response. This guy couldn't be serious. He_ couldn't_ be serious.

He cackled almost manically. "Oh~ Your startled faces just now were exquisite!" Red dripped from his nose, the heat getting to his head. "Oh dear, my nose is bleeding. So then, decide quickly. If I bleed out that'd be your friends' doom."

Gokudera found his voice once more but it sounded even more helpless than before. But also much more angry. "No. Fucking. Way!" Any other person would've shrunk back under his glare by now. His deadly intent practically oozed off his form.

Even Yamamoto couldn't put up a farce. "That's unreasonable." The disgust was written all over his face. Tsuna saw a hand grip the new bat tightly.

Bianchi crossed her arms, goggles reflecting the sun's glare. "I refuse."

Upon her refusal the camera on-screen zoomed in on the assassins, watching their hands. Tsuna could only stare with dread as they both pulled out a flask of sulfuric acid from their prisoner's garbs. No...

"I wonder what kind of face they'll make when the acid burns right through their skins—" Birds' face contorted with the excitement, the same sound as before escaping his lips. "Your time limit is ten seconds."

Tsuna's eyes were hefted to the blade. If he only so much as gripped it the wrong way it would probably mean the end of him.

Bianchi stepped forward as the boys complained again, completely helpless. Her fingers brushed his upper arm hesitantly, reassuring in ways she would probably never show otherwise. She was the only one in this situation that could do something, move about a certain line at all. "I'll call for an ambulance right away. Give me the knife."

He was talking himself out of it again, wasn't he? Never in the quotation, never part of the solution. Tsuna grabbed the hilt of the dagger, clutching it tightly. It felt heavy in his hand. "It's alright," he whispered, heartbeat loud as the blood rushed past his ears.

_"Tsuna-kun! Are you playing games again?"_

_"Hahi! Tsuna-san, how are you today?"_

Kyoko and Haru were innocent. How could he ever drag them into this mess and continue living without regret? If anything were to happen to them...

Bianchi blinked in surprise. "Tsuna?"

_Dark shades glint dangerously._ _"Student Council business, friend."_

_Strangely solemn, he nodded._ _"You be careful, too, Sawada."_

Both Fiona and Ryohei had given their best to shield him from danger without so much as asking for anything in return. What would Kyoko-chan's big brother say when he saw him hesitating, his little sister's life at stake?

_"I have something important in my life besides playing Mafia."_

_He fell to his knees. "Tenth... please escape."_

Yamamoto and Gokudera had befriended him when no one else would and they stuck to him no matter what. They would sacrifice everything just to make sure nothing happens to their friends. To him.

"It's alright," Tsuna repeated a little more clearly now. Gokudera and Yamamoto stopped to listen. "I'll do it myself." He raised the blade, pointing it with shaky hands towards his equally shaking leg. This was all the courage he could muster. It had to be enough for once. "I can't let Kyoko-chan face any sort of cruelty. She has nothing do with this."

He clenched his eyes shut and raised the blade. _Please forgive me for being so useless all this time._

The images on-screen wobbled briefly. Then one of the assassins screamed, a blood-curdling screech ripping through the speakers. _"Oi, you bitch. Who wouldn't spot your ugly hide from miles afar?"_ Tsuna froze, eyes snapping wide. The blade's tip stopped mere inches from his thigh.

A black leg kicked the crumpled assassin in the head, sending him crashing into the nearest wall. The camera shook with the impact, sweeping off to the sides. _"Bloody Twins, my ass. You're nothing but a dummy to vent out my anger."_

Shamal stepped up in front of the surprised girls, smug expression etched into his face as always. _"Hi, Kyoko-chan~ Please ignore the violent woman over there, I'm here to help you."_ The image bobbed up and down but then it settled finally, giving them a good view of the male and both the girls. The sight of Kyoko's carefree face took a load off his mind.

The doctor winked in their direction. _"And as long as it's for cute girls, it's okay if this old man's muscles will hurt like hell tomorrow."_

Gokudera gagged at the sight. "That guy's a hopeless case," he muttered, hiding his face in embarrassment as Yamamoto patted him, laughing relieved.

Footsteps closed in on him, entering the camera's vision. _"You done with the speech? I am the one who actually kicked him in the face after all,"_ Fiona retorted, arms crossed over her chest as she stopped to a halt next to the male.

Tsuna's face lit up when he saw the two of them standing together, shielding his friends from danger. Just in time! "Shamal! Fiona-san! How did you—?"

The blond female threw her braid over a shoulder, revealing rows of bandages and plasters all over her skin._ "Please, Tsuna. Information is my speciality, remember? I've got my own methods of sitting tight and waiting events out."_

"So you just hid yourself?!" Gokudera yelled incredulous. He was close to reaching his newest breaking point.

_"Ah,"_ she paused, finger to her lips. _"Not quite the phrasing I would use."_ The grin was as unnerving as it was reassuring. Tsuna sighed in relief. At least she was alive and well. He risked a peek at the screen once more. Even if she sported some injuries of her own, albeit mostly covered by her clothes, he could make out the faintest red peeking from beneath the sleeves, injuries not yet properly taken care of.

But they were all safe. And that's what counted, right?

"Do you think the game's over now?" Birds' voice interrupted them. All eyes fell on him once more. "Did you forget about your other friend? How about we put this face in danger next?" Tsuna spun around. _No, not Haru! _

Another painful scream echoed through the speakers. Birds cringed. Tsuna looked up. _"Haru-san! Are you hurt?"_ That voice... _"It is unforgivable to target a girl!"_

A deeper, male one added his own part to it: _"You can leave Haru-san to us."_

Ten-Years-Older I-pin and Lambo!

Birds was on the verge of breaking, nosebleed staining his collar. "Impossible! One after another! Nobody should've known about any of this!"

_"It's a good thing we were watching out for Haru-san like were told to."_ I-pin shifted into a fighting stance, guarding Haru with her body.

Shamal caught the camera's lens with a sharp stare. _"That guy's always right when he predicts these things."_

Fiona regarded her fingernails coolly. _"Don't forget who you're talking to."_

Told to? Predicted?

Reborn coughed inconspicuously, baby grin in place. "To help out when there's trouble is what a family is for." Tsuna felt his own goofy grin form on his face. These guys, all of them. _Right..._

"Wait, what family?!"

* * *

Shamal was the one to usher the girl away from the scene. "I would strongly suggest that you ladies go home quickly. Otherwise, if you witness my fighting prowess, you might be smitten into insomnia after falling for me."

With his own methods, that is.

Fiona shook her head. _What are you even saying? _One of the fluffy birds had nestled on her finger and she stared straight into the camera peeking through its yellow plumage. She clicked her tongue displeased. Let's have him squirm a little. "Birds. 37 years old, prisoner for over eight." A hard edge entered her voice. "Do you know I have a personal score to settle with you? Pretty bad position you're in, now that you're free. Seriously, the files I got on you would shame your ancestors into the depths of oblivion."

Strong arms wound their way around her shoulders once more. "Mhh, Fiona-chan, please start chiding me as well—"

Hand. Face. Good place. Shamal struggled like a toddler at her arm's length. "How about you finish off the assassin?"

"He's done for, don't worry," he answered with a knowing tone.

Fiona pointed sideways, bird hopping off her finger and flying into the sky. Probably back towards Kokuyo Park to find its master. "Then why is he lunging at me?" She ducked when the giant grayface headed for her neck, just barely escaping his sharp nails as they crossed over the spot she'd stood at. She reached out with her leg, tripping him but he caught himself before he lost his balance.

"You wanna bring it on, Munch?" she taunted and waved him closer. A mosquito buzzed past her.

"He's already affected by the Vibration Syndrome." Just as he said the words, the tall assassin gave off weird sounds. Part growls, part confused whimper and eventually another deafening screech, back bending rigid in ways no body ever should. Shamal stood behind him, hands in the pockets of his labcoat. "It would've been best if he refrained from moving around too much. But I may have told him too late."

His back bent backwards, he screamed louder—and then his body broke down under him, skin tearing violently in a pitter-patter of tiny driblets of blood. Shamal caught her eyes, lopsided smirk on his unshaved face as he shrug his shoulders. "He had a seizure."

Fiona applauded, pleased by the show. "Hear ye, hear ye." Then she flicked open her phone, dialing up a number. "We going to meet up with the other two?"

Shamal nodded, bending over the body and pulling it up by an arm. "We can drag him over before they transform back."

"Good." The phone line clicked. "_Buon giorno. Sono La Pescatrice. Posso parlare con qualcuno che..._" She stopped when the female on the other end dropped a bucketful torrent of words on her head. "_Sì. Sì. _So they're here already? _Bene. _Please pick me up on the way to your destination then._ No, immediamente. Ciao._" She hung up. The secretary was outraged.

Shamal hummed amused. "Who was that?"

"Vongola Medic Team. They're already on their way to Kokuyo Park, so I kindly asked them to take me along."

"Kindly," he repeated. She whistled innocently. "So, how did you escape your attacker, after all?"

Fiona took a hold of the other arm and together they hauled the large body across the street. She looked over her shoulder. They did leave a pretty visible trail of red. Well, something to worry about later. "I'm used to a more persistent devil chasing me around."

* * *

_ "Watch out," she whispered. The door slammed shut behind her. "Try not to get caught." She hung up and turned around._

_"Namimori Jr. High, class 2-B, seat number 17, Benivieni Fiona." The barcode tattoo by his glasses was the only thing she saw as he righted them on his nose with a slim finger. "I believe you have been caught."_

_It happened in the blink of an eye._

_She ducked, rolled off to the side when she saw the end of a weapon glint in preparation of an attack. A second later the regular **pflikpflikpflik **of needles puncturing the hallway's carpet, walls, windows filled her hearing. She cursed as she slammed into the opposite wall, eye-to-eye with her opponent, followed by a trail of sharp needles to her feet._

_She did what she could do best: talk. "You know my name—what about telling me yours?" Yo-Yos. He spun the thread between his fingers. His bloody weapons are yo-yos!  
_

_Monochrome blue eyes stared directly ahead into hers with a calculating cool rarely found in such a young boy. "Kokuyo Jr. High, 1st year, Kakimoto Chikusa." The yo-yos stopped spinning. He was about to ready another attack.  
_

_"Oh look, we have something in common_—goddamnit, let me finish my sentence!" She rolled away again and dashed towards the stairway. ____"You're not the smoothest talker, are ya?" she yelled over her shoulder. __

__Needles pierced the door in front of her on head height. Her eyes briefly caught his. "But a pretty smooth shot."__

_He approached her slowly. "Stop running. I don't like to sweat." She was in a bad spot here, caught between him and the door. If she so much as turned around to open the heavy thing, she was dead meat. Her eyes followed the devastating trail he'd left behind in the corridor. He's quick, but he's also a ranged fighter..._

_She splayed her finger on the cool surface of the door behind her. "I don't either." And then she propelled herself forward in his direction.  
_

_Needles whizzed by her body, a prickling burn starting where they cut open her bare arms but she was already by his face before he could do any serious damage. Her hand reached out, clenched into a fist. He ducked out of the way, going for her open side._

_She twisted around, grabbed him by the shoulders and headbutted him._

_He staggered, tricked by her feint, and she used the brief opening to slam the door open with all the force her body could muster. Her shoulder screamed in protest but she had no time to inspect the severity of the wounds. One hand locked around the stairs' railing, she used the momentum left to jump down a level, barely catching her own fall without breaking a leg on the stairways and sprinting in circles downward like there was no tomorrow._

_He was right on her heels, sending a rain of needles after her whenever he spotted her rounding a corner. Running out into the open could turn out to be the best or the worst choice for her but she didn't have all that many left from the start. So, of course she ran out of the building._

_What she didn't expect was him jumping out of one of the windows in a flurry of broken glass._

_"Did somebody ever tell you that you're damn hardheaded?" She was such a horrible pun-maker._

_His eyes had a glint of impatience to them when he dusted off some of the shards. "You talk too much for someone who's about to get broken."_

_Her feet slithered backwards until she met something firm. "Broken? Is that how you youngsters call it these days__—__ohoho, you're not letting me finish again, I see~" She held up her impromptu trashcan-shield to fend off the next barrage promising hell, fumbling out her phone in the miniscule moment of peace, pressed the speed dial to Alessio, and started doing the second best thing she could: **running**. _

_He's quick on her heels no matter where she went, but the needles recoiled uselessly from the can, hitting the streets. A woman shrieks when Fiona almost rams into her, conversation with Alessio difficult to manage when her life lies on the line. __"I'm very stressed right now. Is it noticeable?" She screeched around a corner, lungs burning but she couldn't stop to take a breath. A quick swipe of her surroundings and she threw the trashcan-turned-shield over a nearby stone fence, privacy of the house garden be damned and scaled up immediately after._

_Glory to one-handed climbing and speaking on the phone, she tripped with her ankle and landed face-first in angry brambles. "Shit." Her skin prickled and she felt the blood trickle down her neck. It was by sheer luck the sunglasses had caught most of the thorns and protected her eyes. __"I'm going to kill someone when this is over."_

_She could practically feel Alessio's smugly raised brows. __"Anyhow, what I meant to say is, that you're going to send my files on Fuuta over to MASK's network."_

_His rebuked was almost drowned out against the sharp bark of a dog and she **shh'd** the thing almost instinctively. When she looked up she was less than amused to see a very big, very angry-looking German Shepherd.  
_

_She really had no time for this. Hoping her karma didn't suffer too much from animal abuse she scoped up the trashcan and pulled it over the animal's head. For proper measure she kept him in an armlock, trying to calm her heart at the horrifying stench coming off the emptied trash. Her attacker was nowhere in sight yet but he wasn't stupid. __"Nobody can know that the information is coming firsthand from MASK instead of me. His network operates outside Mafia law and if they knew it was me, I'd be shot down on the spot. MASK was involved in some heavy anti-Mafia campaigns, after all."_

_Fiona stopped dead in her track. Why is that dog panting so happily—oh no, you're not playing with dirty, moldy crumbs of meat and bones on my lap—!_

_Of course he is._

_She put on her best professional face and braved the pain like a proper woman. __"But since someone outside the Mafia managed to get a hold of Fuuta, we can turn the tables and place all blame on him once this is over." Just think of blowing MASK's network up when this is done. The wonderful Seneca-sentence had practically screamed at her to be included. Interludium's always been a bitch___—oh, the slobbering, please stop the slobbering_____—__one she still had to catch. _

_Focus. She rolled her eyes.__"When did I ever do something to compromise our family?"_

_And then there was a pair of yo-yos heading straight for her body. The dog's head snapped up, Fiona jerked back into the leaves in an attempt to dodge, thorns finding their ways to shred through her clothes and pierce her skin. The boy was perched on the stone, gaze unimpressed at her predicament but for the snap of his fingers when her pulled back the yoyos._

_She realized her mistake too late._

_The yo-yos wrapped themselves firmly around the aluminium of the trashcan, circling it twice and pulling it out of her lap without so much as touching her. Then they crushed it between their threads, crumpling it like a piece of paper. Her arms weren't up in defense fast enough. With a flick of his wrist, he sent the yoyos soaring sideways, trashcan hitting her square across the chest, crumpled, jagged edges smashing against her chin like a maul before soaring all the way over the stone wall and street. Her teeth clattered from the impact, stars closing in on her—_

_The slobber of a wet tongue on her face had her awake and cursing in an instant. She managed to roll out of the way of another rain of needles just in time to scramble back on her feet, dog constantly barking, pushing, snarling into her hips._

_"I can't keep running forever, Alessio!" she yelled into the phone, nearly forgotten in her predicament, stumbling out the front gate with more luck than skill. __"Seriously, respect your elders, Barcode-Boy!"_

_And then he had her jacket pinned to the gate and the dog howled in pain. Her heart skipped a beat at the sound. __"Kokuyo Par—" Fiona hung up. Even if they had to find the answer off her corpse, this had turned personal now.  
_

_Chikusa stepped up to her. "You're number six." He pulled her up by her hair, strands loosening out of form around his grip. A couple of tiny hair clips fell cluttering to the floor. Fiona eyed the huffing German Shepherd, needles stuck in both his left front leg and neck.  
_

_"You want to pull out my teeth now, huh?" her voice was dangerous even to her ears. Her fingers typed blindly away at the phone, memory steadying her hand. The dog whined and grit his teeth. "I don't like it when somebody doesn't appreciate the effort I place into making myself presentable." She dropped the phone when he caught her typing, scooping up the hair clips in its shadows when he didn't look. _

_"Because it sure is a pain in the arse to be a pretty lady, to look good when I crush my enemy, and even better when I save the day. So what I'm saying is..." She gave him her most pissed-off glare, molded directly from the heat of her wrath, the hurt animal's whine only fueling her fury. "Nobody touches my hair like that, asshole."_

_She took aim and threw the hair clips right into his eyes._

_Now that things had turned personal, she'd make sure to make this chase a living hell for him.  
_

* * *

Shamal rose a brow, thin-lipped. "So you didn't hide?"

Fiona turned to look at him, smile lighting up the part of the face not hidden away by sunglasses. "Oh, I still ran all over the city but I turned pretty creative further down the fight." She adjusted the weight of the assassin before she continued. "Since he was in a hurry he aborted the mission when he saw no use in catching me and went straight for his next target. I was simply left with the task of trying to find someone who could stitch me back up." Shamal blinked. "I went back to carry the dog to a vet first, of course."

"Of course," he repeated. Then, hesitantly, "Hair clips."

"Hair clips," she confirmed.

"Emancipation has come a long way."

She grinned.

* * *

**One Month Later**

* * *

The popcorn trundled out of its papery container as she skipped the last stairs to the roof. She kicked the door open nonchalantly. Foot first, knocking later, right? Riiight. "Kyoya! The baseball match is starting, you can't miss out on that!"

One of the tiny yellow birds nestled by his head startled momentarily, wings spread wide before nudging the head prefect's head once more. The warm breeze tucked at his hair as he lay there on the roof, languidly dozing away. He threw her one lazy, tired glare but stayed stretched-out and unmoving, arms crossed behind his head.

"Glad to see we bonded over the whole Mukuro incident."

He yawned.

What an ass.

_"Hibari, Hibari,"_ the bird chirped.

Fiona put a hand to her hip. "Look, he wants you to come, too."

"I'm going to sleep for a while, so don't disturb me." Now he's talking to the bird rather than her. Fiona gave off an indignant huff.

"Geez, what a bore." She threw the bird a popcorn and it hopped towards it, picking away with its tiny beak. Her expression lit up. That's just a cute thing to watch. The bird regarded her curiously with its small button eyes. "You wanna watch the game with me?" she whispered. Fuuta was down there somewhere, she could use a wingman.

The bird hopped from left to right before bounding up and past her face. When she turned around, it had landed on the nearby railing, seemingly pointing down towards the court-yard. Fiona chuckled as she stepped up to the railing, sending popcorn arching into her mouth.

"Well, the view is pretty nice from up here, too."

* * *

**A/N:**

**Well if the whole chase with Chikusa and Fiona didn't look like her happy times with Hibari. She likes meeting new people via violent ways, huh? And screwing her body up mostly on her own. I mean, really, falling into the bushes like that, where's your coordination, girl?**

**Onward, chaaaarge! Back to Everyday stuff!  
**


	13. SPECIAL Target!

**I don't own **_****_Katekyō Hitman Reborn!_****_****.****

****This came to me and didn't leave me alone. It's not exactly chronological but seeing how Valentine's Day was so well-received... I simply had to write this. I might do a special after every big arc, just for fun, anything goes. We'll see. ;) ****

****And before I forget: I might not update next week because college is starting again, a couple birthdays are coming up, one of them being mine... it's gonna be a busy week. I hope you'll forgive me.  
****

****Guest Reviews:****

_Guest:_** You have me dancing! That's about the biggest compliment you could give. It's my number one priority not to make her stand out too much but all the same not to tell the manga story all over again. And when someone says she fits in like the regular cast I'm all lalaland. :D Thank you for your kind words!**

* * *

**_SPECIAL_ _Target!_**

* * *

Fiona actually managed a merry hum as she entered class. The battles with the strange Kokuyo kids might still be fresh on her mind, and with some loose ends MASK had to string together she'd have a couple restless nights to tend to as well, but her body had healed up nice and peachy and _that_ was something to be celebrated for sure. Constantly trying not to accidently kill Shamal for his perverted attempts of flirting was another relief, too.

Therefore, in all renewed glory, lips glitter-glossed and full of energy—

"Good morning!"

Silence.

Fiona's brow shot up. "Guys, I just returned from hospital."

The general reception was a further thickening of the black cloud of gloom lingering just beneath the ceiling and a more pitiful than weak, "You're back, greeeeat." The female side made sure not to look too closely at any of the boys and offered her a shy nod at best.

Okay, screw this. Arms akimbo she decided to speak plain then. "Come on, boys. Show some spirit. A beautiful lady seeks attention!"

Big, bad cloud deflated like a ballon in one collective defeated sigh. Her eyebrow twitched. This is just ridiculous. She ran a hand across her face before flinging back her braid. All she wanted was a teensy-weensy piece of appreciation. You know, for all the trouble she'd been through. I don't know, deceiving the Underworld all the while leaving the Mafia standing as strong as before and _again_ all the while looking goddamn badass without even batting a lash? Yeah, deserves some drooling at the very least. She's not exaggerating, _never_.

Fiona crossed her arms over her chest and leaned into the door frame. "What's the boo-boo this time and where do I have to kiss to make it better?"

Mouse's fluffy head shot up and his button-eyed glare almost melted her heart. "You purposedly rubbing salt into the wound, ogress?"

If not for his words. In less than a split-second she was next to him, whispering into his ear. "What was that, my cute little Mousie?" He yelled out a mouthful of curses and pretty much exorcized her all at once. Fiona smiled, mouthing _plucking the root_ ever so sweetly. Mouse regarded her wary, distancing himself as best he could.

He didn't even mention anything about the forbidden mention of cuteness this time. "Tomorrow is White Day." Fiona blinked. Then understood.

_Ooooooh._

That's why she's missing out on her much needed appreciation? "Aren't you just being tardy jackasses then?"

The girls turned around in shock and the boys tensed at her words. The arrow striking their hearts was almost physically visible within the (once again collective) motion. "We didn't get any chocolate," one of them mumbled.

"Not our fault," another said. The girls exchanged nervous looks. Apparently it's not only Valentine's Day Yamamoto and Gokudera managed to ruin. White Day was just as important an event to teenagers stuck in one-sided loves. Should she...? Nah, better not mention that the Disciplinary Commitee got chocolates from her. Let's not throw in the whole salt shaker.

Fiona solemny raised a palm. Something good brewed in the back of her mind. "I invoke the Student Council's blessing and all that crap," she started. Heads turned around curiously. "Let's spice things up this White Day."

Mouse frowned. "How so?"

"Because I invoke another right, of course." She made a dramatic pause, sweeping her eyes over the waiting students, then grinned wickedly. "That of being born in Europe."

* * *

"Did you hear? The 2nd-years are up to something!" Yamamoto looked up from his bento with a curious frown.

"What are they doing?" he asked. Tsuna stopped mid-bite as well, quietly listening in, forcing Gokudera to do the same, although with more of a snarl.

The frantic classmate spun around and stopped to a halt in front of their tables. "I hear they're changing the rules of this year's White Day! The Student Council's in on the whole thing, too!"

The three boys immediately knew it was Fiona's doing. She was either planning something incredibly stupid or challenged the Disciplinary Committee for incredibly stupid reasons again. Neither sounded good.

"And what are they changing?" Tsuna asked carefully.

The boy's eyes fixated on him then. "They call it 'Europe Valentines': every boy has a chance to give one girl a gift tomorrow, even if he didn't receive any chocolate back on Valentine's Day!"

"Really?" Yamamoto exclaimed in wonder. "That sounds like an awesome idea!"

"It sounds like complete chaos," Gokudera muttered under his breath. "There's going to be flowers all over the place."

As if on cue the female-who-had-started-it-all herself waltzed into class in that very instant, pulled up a chair and sat down next to the baseballer, all in one swift move. Yamamoto beamed, friendly as ever. "Hey! How's it going?"

Fiona's hands instantly went up to her face to stifle a groan before she peeked at him through splayed fingers. "My class has officially gone mad with desperation. Therefore I'm in hiding."

Tsuna's lips twitched in a mock-smile. _Incredibly_ stupid, all right.

Yamamoto bumped her shoulder lightly with his fist. "So you did come up with another idea again? Sounds fun, though!"

Her hands slumped back into her lap. "I didn't think I'd have to be the on-site advisor on women and pick-up lines. My hands are full as it is, I don't need another job as date doctor." Yamamoto laughed.

Tsuna paled a little. "Is it that bad?"

Fiona shook her head. "And worse." She fumbled her sunglasses from the front of her uniform before putting them on as if they would hide her better. Tsuna thought she didn't even notice her habit of constantly putting them on herself. "Though it's to be expected with the special reward you can get."

Tsuna's face perked up curiously. "Special reward?"

Fiona simply smiled. "It's a secret. Surprise and secrecy are my greatest benefactors, after all." For some reason Tsuna didn't look comfortable inside his hide anymore.

"I think it's stupid," Gokudera snarled. "Why have such a tradition anyway?"

Sunglasses glinted sharply in his direction. "I see you haven't been much in love, have you?"

Gokudera flushed slightly around the ears but caught himself quick enough. "You're one to talk! You women just get showered with gifts and don't have to lift a finger!" And they were at it again.

Fiona leaned in closer. "We're talking Japanese traditions here: _I_ gave _you_ chocolate. _You_ out of all people would have to return something to me tomorrow. As for the others," she leaned back and crossed her arms, "I gave them hope. Have you seen the state of the school today? Not like we have enough black clouds as it is."

"_Pah! _Like I'm gonna return you the favor." Gokudera mimicked her pose, defiantly looking away as he did so.

"Didn't think you had the tact anyway."

Yamamoto raised his hands to appease the two. "Maa, maa, give him a chance, Fiona-chan."

First she pointed at herself. "Now _I'm_ the bad guy?" Then at the other Italian. "He's being showered with chances!"

"What chances? All you're good at is being a nuisance, fish princess!"

Her mouth made a perfect circle in shock. "See? He's bluntly trampling another chance at peace." Then she placed a hand possessively on the baseballer's shoulder. "He's still my favorite." She glared over to Gokudera. "While _you_ are little more than a _jerk head_." Yamamoto chuckled while Tsuna shook his head. The floodgate had opened once more.

He scoffed. "'That the best you could come up with? Pathetic!"

"Well, I didn't want to indulge the whole class in the actual vulgar variants you do of the word _jerk_." The boys sputtered on their drinks and choked on air. Gokudera turned crimson.

Fiona's victorious grin ticked him over the final edge. His toy dynamite sticks wound a way into his fingers. "I don't care if you're a woman, you're dead meat." Then he lit them up with his cigarette. Fiona cracked her knuckles in anticipation.

Tsuna tried to intervene. "HIIEE! Gokudera-kun, not in the classroom—!" Fiona pushed the small boy out of the way.

"I've been itching for some stress relief. Nobody wants to appreciate me today. So I won't appreciate nobody either."

Tsuna's jaw dropped in shock. "_EEH?_ Not you, too, Fiona-san!"

With a struggling smile Yamamoto stepped up to his regular place between the two, arms outstretched and holding them as far apart as possible before things got out of hand. Well, more so than usual.

* * *

**The Following Morning  
**

* * *

The knocking on the door was early and it was timid. Both reasons to be alerted. Nobody knocked by her door early without needing something from her. Anyone she knew would go like a bull at a gate and tear the puny obstacle down before even attempting any normal means of knocking.

So she adjusted her waking accordingly, slipping out of bed quietly and ruffling her hair just enough for it to stay somewhat orderly in place. Barefooted she tiptoed over and opened the door.

She cocked her head left, then right.

It's a... classmate?

The boy had trouble standing still. The stutter shook his whole body. "F-F-F-Fiona-chan...!" Her eyes swooped over his hair. Isn't his hair different somehow? Combed and slick? A bit too much gel. "I-I saw the sign a-and...!"

At this rate they wouldn't get anywhere. She frowned. "Is something the—?"

_Thud._

And suddenly she had an unconscious, nosebleeding boy on her turf. She looked down her body. Probably shouldn't have worn a nightdress.

Oh, well. Let's get started on the _real_ fun then.

* * *

**White Day!**

* * *

Entering school was like entering a dream.

Tsuna couldn't believe his eyes. Actually there was so much to look at, he didn't even know where to start. For one, there's Gokudera doing his routine fast-walking attempt at outrunning a very large group of madly giggling girls. Another crowd gathered directly at the gate. Or more like a queue; happily chatting (and again giggling) girls receiving a small package of sushi and saying their shy thanks as they entered school. Yamamoto could easily pass as the Santa of sushi the way he had two full bags sitting next to him and no end in sight.

But no, the dreamlike state would have to be the new, enormous wooden sign over the school gate reading:

_Namimori Europe Valentines—Where each present gets a **kiss**!_

_(apart from those that got chocolate on Valentines, you're all cheats)_

Tsuna's first reaction was to turn red because his wishful imagination went haywire.

Then he panicked because he didn't even consider the possibility of him, slow, shy Dame-Tsuna, giving the ever-popular Kyoko-chan a gift. Now would have been his chance! Why didn't he think of something?! Then again: he did sort of get chocolate from her and Haru (and Bianchi... let's just forget that part) on Valentine's Day... did that mean he couldn't participate because he had already received something?

"Don't worry about Kyoko, she's untouchable anyway," a voice startled him out of his thoughts, breath tickling his ear. Fiona righted her shades before pointing back over her shoulder. "Ryohei made sure of that."

"Hey, Benny, Sawada!" Ryohei beamed and waved like a madman—before instantly raising his bandaged fist at the closest boy homing in on Kyoko. "You! Stay away from my sister!"

Kyoko hid her face behind her school bag in embarassment. "Brother, please stop this! I can take care of myself."

Meanwhile Ryohei had the boy by his collar, challenging him. "If he wants something he should join the Boxing Club and prove his worth! Did you hear me?!" Tsuna couldn't believe his ears. It's always about the boxing! The other male nodded with a whimper but by then Ryohei had let go of him and returned to his sister's side, one arm reaching out to shield her. "I'll extremly make sure nobody gets close to you, Kyoko!" He gave Fiona and Tsuna a determined nod. "See you guys later!"

Like a whirlwind the Sasagawa siblings came and went. Tsuna didn't even have the time to feel disappointed at the lack of a proper greeting between him and Kyoko due to her brother's... extreme... antics.

Fiona clasped her hands together. "Well, that's one girl off the list. Her virgin lips are save." She paused to wave somebody over. "Hey, Mr. Elvis-Prefect, sir!" Tsuna sputtered. He really didn't like standing this close whenever she called out to the prefects like that. But his curiosity got the better of him.

Tsuna raised a brow. "What list?" He watched Student Council and Disciplinary Committee casually exchange hands over an unconscious male. Wait what?! "Why are you carrying a body around?!" he exclaimed loudly.

Fiona turned around with a pout, the shades glinting almost ruefully at the accusation. "I'm not."

"And what was that just now?!"

"I handed the body over for _someone else_ to carry around." Tsuna couldn't help the twitch to his eyes. That's just playing around with the details!

"What are you planning again, Fiona-san...?" Did he even want to know?

She smiled much too sweetly but her lips stayed sealed. "When am I ever doing something insincere?"

Always, Tsuna thought. Always.

* * *

When Fiona reached her classroom to check up on the situation inside—okay, screw that part, she never actually successfully made it to the doorknob because a war cry echoed off the walls just as she raised her hand. "Fetch, Arata!"

And with grandeur oomph she found herself grounded, the heavy body of a six feet tall bundle of instant sleep receipt sprawled all over her.

She flailed one of her arms helplessly, feeling suddenly very much akin to a fish caught in a net. That Arata was slowly but surely climbing his way up to her hair to nestle in for a long, deep slumber didn't help the situation. "Somebody get him off me," she finally managed to grit through her teeth. And whoever _fetched_ him on her better be prepared to face the consequences.

Mouse knelt down before her and shook his feathery head. Her heart melted a little at his button eyes. "Sorry, can't do that. I can't let you enter class."

Fiona send him a glare. No melting for that. Focus. "Speak faster, I'm suffocating." She fortified her glare with some proper slanting when she felt Arata shift positions. "Or _you_ will be dead when he manages to get a hold of my hair. Which he is currently doing a good job of, I might add."

"Why am I even bothering?" Mouse muttered with a grumble before they managed to roll Arata over on his back with their combined strength put behind it. He eventually swung to a stillstand like a turtle on its shell, informant still tight in his grasp. Fiona looked over her newest position.

"Well, I guess this is better than before." No way of budging, we're speaking about the gladiator holding off Ryohei with ease here. Instead she nestled into the larger boy's chest, one leg crossed over the other. If she had to be play hostage, she could still have it comfortable. "You were saying?"

Mouse was kneeling to be on semi-eye height and cut right to the chase: "It's not like I care about you one little bit. You're an ogr—" Glare. "—a less than average strong female but still able to hold her ground." She nodded, sending him an unspoken _I can live with that. _"But I worry about the guys inside."

Fiona raised a brow. "Why's that?"

There's almost a sense of gleeful malice glinting across his eyes. "Well, you know how everyone was excited about the idea yesterday?" She nodded. "Now that it's here they kinda realized that things don't work out that easily."

She tried her best not to let the grin show on her lips and cleared her throat. "Why is that?"

Mouse nestled in for a casual talk, don't mind the weird situation. "Well, half the girls won't accept their gifts because they're in love with that Yamamoto. And they kinda hope he'll come around so they can kiss him." He shrug his shoulders. "The other half goes to the Gokudera guy. Same reasons." Fiona nodded for him to continue. "And since Ryohei isn't leaving Kyoko-chan's side, that doesn't leave many girls to choose from to give gifts to."

Fiona blinked. Arata's hold on her was loosening; he was almost fully asleep. "To be expected. Your point?"

"Well, there's now two factions forming among the guys." Mouse raised one palm. "One half wants a reward so bad, it doesn't even matter that you're a monstrous ogr—" Glare. "—less than average strong female, how could I even _think_ of anything else?" he corrected with a sarcastic roll of his eyes. He'd learned his lesson well. She was pleased. "Anyway: a kiss is a kiss. And they want it from you."

Fiona pressed her lips together. "At least I get flowers, right?"

"Believe me, the flowers are plucked in a depressing game of _She-definitely-loves-me-not-why-did-I-ever-agree-to-this._" Mouse took his every chance of making her life horrible and gleefully added: "They're going to queue up and slobber your face one by one—"

"Ew. They're all puberty-pimply. I only kiss pretty people."

Mouse sent her a glare. "Why am I even bothering, seriously?"

Fiona shrug her shoulders. "It's fun to have me around." She pushed at her bounds but Arata didn't give in yet. "And the other faction?" she asked instead.

"Oh," he said, as if he'd completely forgotten about the other part of his speech. He quickly remedied his mistake. "The other half wants to sacrifice you to Hibari so they don't have to deal with your stupid shenanigans ever again."

Fiona rose her brows. Now that's just harsh. "You're quoting, of course."

"Of course," he confirmed. Ah, why did she not believe him one little bit, this cute, witty rascal? "Is he asleep yet?" he asked and tugged at Arata's arms.

Fiona raked her head to take a look at Arata's dozing face. "He's close."

Mouse frowned. "You're pretty calm for someone who's life is at stake here..."

"I'm used to it. Comes with the job description," Fiona answered upfront. Mouse cocked his head to the side in confusion, still trying to wiggle her out of her prison. "Oh, and Mouse? The life-threatening problem you just described has already manifested itself on the corridor. Just for your information."

Mouse looked up startled, and true enough: the classroom door was open wide and pretty much every boy had his fixated eyes on her. Or her mouth. It was difficult to tell from this position which faction this bunch belonged to. She could swear to hear growling coming from the angry mob of males but it surely had to be her imagination.

Both Mouse and Fiona exchanged a glance. "You take the legs?" she asked. He nodded, stretching to a half-crouch.

Placing all her strength into it, she jumped to her feet, dragging Arata's body along through sheer force; Mouse got a firm hold of his legs, and together they fled like there's no tomorrow.

* * *

Tsuna looked up from his bento when Yamamoto and Gokudera entered class looking exhausted and worn out. They slumped down into two chairs next to the small boy and groaned in bliss for a second. Gokudera was the first to gather himself. He slammed his fist into the table that Tsuna's rice soared out of his bento.

"I told you that woman is nothing but trouble!"

Yamamoto laughed and clapped the silver-haired's back. "Maa, maa. It wasn't all that bad."

Gokudera flung his arm off and drilled a finger into the baseballer's chest. Tsuna's attempts to stop him went unnoticed. "Not bad? Those annoying girls were chasing me all day long because they thought that if I only so much as _looked_ at them, they could consider it a present and give me a... a..." His face turned red and completely disgusted at the same time. "Never going to happen."

"Really? I don't think there was much of a difference to last year. Do you, Tsuna?"

Tsuna almost choked on his food. Of course Yamamoto wouldn't be able to tell the difference—last year he'd been receiving and returning just as many gifts as this year, if not more because Gokudera hadn't been there to split the masses like he did now.

That's when Fiona decided to run past the classroom chased by a crowd of boys in a similar fashion Gokudera had been for the earlier part of the day. Was she carrying something? Could be his imagination. Gokudera instantly reacted, showing her the finger and yelling: "HAHA! Feel my misery!" She was gone too fast to throw him back an answer. Tsuna sighed in relief. These two would never get along, would they?

"Looks like it's working out," a childish voice said out of nowhere with a chuckle added to the end of the sentence. Tsuna spun around only to be met by none other than... Fuuta?!

"What are you doing here?" he asked surprised. He wasn't stalking him again, was he?

Yamamoto leaned forward with a grin. "Oh! It's the boy with the funny rankings."

Fuuta smiled back. "Hello." He then looked to Tsuna. "Fiona-nee's name has been mentioned approximately 6734 today," he said out of the blue as if it was the most important thing to utter.

Tsuna exchanged a glance with Gokudera. "Uhm, Fuuta, why aren't you writing that down?" _I thought you two don't get along. Should you be here at all?_

"Don't tell her that I am here, please!" he pleaded with his big doe eyes as if he'd read Tsuna's thoughts. Not that he'd planned to do so but the little boy sure knew how to manipulate people. "I was just curious. So I counted." He blushed a little, as if spying behind other people's back was a very shameful thing to do.

Well, it actually was but Tsuna tended to forget that in the Mafia it was a pretty normal thing to do.

Anyway: "You counted? You mean you kept count up until 6734?!"

He looked a little flustered. "I'm still an informant, aren't I?" Fuuta's eyes looked alarmed all of a sudden. "Sorry, Tsuna-nii. I have to go now!" And just like that he scrawled under the table—and when Tsuna ducked beneath it to look for him, the boy had already vanished into thin air! Must've used one of Reborn's secret passageways... he could never figure out where they were and how they functioned.

Yamamoto laughed. "I wonder why he was in such a hurry."

Just then, Fiona made her trip back, followed by an even bigger group of students. This time she showed Gokudera the finger back.

* * *

In ancient times the Reception Room had belonged to the Student Council. Nowadays that was just a fleeting dream.

Although she frequently visited like she owned the place, it was _his_ home turf she invaded when in need of a hiding place and that realization sunk in once more and ever so heavily today of all days, as the door closed shut behind her.

"What are you doing, herbivore?"

As always, a lovely greeting. "Coming by to say hello, of course." Fiona walked up to Hibari's table in the most casual stroll she managed. That action alone spoke so many volumes, even he had to pick up on it: How the hell is she going to convince him not to kill her today? It could almost turn into a TV series.

There's really something wrong with her if she willingly escaped into the lion's den because it was _safer_ than the chicken coop outside.

Hibari leaned back into his chair, disinterested. Really now? Reeeeally? A yellow ball of fluff chirped for attention instead and for a brief moment she allowed herself to look somewhere else.

She drew a handful of corn from the pocket of her skirt and the little thing plucked the food right out of her hand, bouncing left and right and tickling her palm with its tiny feet. "Hi, Hibird," she said with a warm smile. That cute bird could light up any gloomy day. She was a bad pun-maker for sure, though, with such a nickname.

Not looking away from the bird, she casually chatted the quiet away. Let's get down to business. She did end up in a very sore spot, somewhere between a burning-hot frying pan and the pits of hell themselves. At least the second group would be laughing manically over her situation because they had practically managed to place her on the Hibari-altar. "So, not going to say something?"

He rested his arms on the lean. "You acted out of your own accord."

"Very much so."

"Without asking the Disciplinary Committee for consent."

"You did say I am 'not to disturb you with frivolities' last week."

Predatory aura bristled at her insolence.

A knock on the door disrupted the build-up she had prepared as her defense. He gave her a long look before the person entered upon his permission. A shivering, completely scared out of his wits, boy stood on the other side, clearly regretting his decision to come over. But he gulped and forced his mouth to form the beginning stutter of a sentence: "C-Can I speak w-with F—"

Just like that Hibari was next to him and the boy unconscious. He kicked him once more for proper measure before sheathing his tonfa. She swore she recognized that slick, combed hair from somewhere but brushed the thought away. Stay focused, Hibari was talking. "I was displeased but I can see the benefit of this day." A very curious Fiona perked up at those words. Did she hear right?

A very dangerous glint appeared in his eyes. "A proper regulation, right before the new term. It is a good time as any to remind the students of protocol. You chose a very effective lure." He gave her a sidelong glance.

And that's when the door fell inward as a horde of angry, rebellious males entered, all pointing fingers. So the laughing in the back of her head had been real? The presidents of both Student Council and Disciplinary Committee stood frozen still, relentless stone against the moving bulk of flesh trampling over themselves like mad bulls.

Hibird landed on the table. She applauded. "See? I pull a stunt, you get to reap the rewards." Not what she'd planned but if things worked out all's fine. All he had to do was walk out of his room and he could beat the shit out of the next best person for whatever kissable reason. She could totally justify it. A nifty arrangement that she could not have better planned herself, yes, yes.

His eyes turned cold and with it the temperature inside the room. Shouts stilled as the intruders in the room realized their horrible mistake. Fiona decided that it was time to get another early discharge from hospital because the head prefect's eyes, as cold and angry as they were, weren't giving her the most pleased look any more.

"Well, if that is all, I will take my leave." She headed for the nearest closet. His hand grasped the back of her collar.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"To my most comfy hiding spot?"

He threw her into the paws of the hungry wolves like a piece of meat. She hated him so much right now.

* * *

A heavy sigh made Reborn look up from the Mafia newspaper he was reading. He cocked his head to the side at the sad scene walking right past him without even noticing the baby. He jumped down the windowsill and catching his attention with a trademark "Ciaossu!" the boy stopped to a halt.

Reborn smiled. "I can't stand to watch this any longer."

* * *

When Fiona slumped down into a chair next to Tsuna, it was with an exhausted and worn out groan. He felt like he'd seen a similar scene before. "Are you alright, Fiona-san?" he asked cautiously.

She stretched her neck to look him in the eye. His only met with dark sunglasses. "I've seen worse days but thanks for asking." Her voice was a strained monotone. Tsuna offered her a wonky smile.

Yamamoto clapped her shoulder in a lighthearted manner. "It must be the humidity you're not used to. Both you and Gokudera look so tired today."

"Idiot baseball freak," Gokudera muttered under his breath just loud enough for Tsuna to hear. This time Tsuna couldn't help the mirthless, unbelieving laugh escaping his own lips. Yamamoto was really gullible, wasn't he? To the point of being unbelievable.

Reborn hopped on the table between them. Tsuna didn't even bother to ask where he came from this time, seeing as when even Fuuta managed to come and go as he pleased, there's no way he could ever catch the baby hitman live in the act. "Well done."

Fiona gave the baby a breathy chuckle in response. "I feel so accomplished. Now if only somebody would get me I-pin for a chinese massage, I'd be very thankful."

Tsuna frowned. Accomplished? What exactly did she accomplish?

Gokudera placed his hands behind the back of his head. "I don't see how getting your ass handed by stupid students is an accomplishment." Tsuna had to refrain from groaning. Either one was always goating the other into a new round of bickering.

"Aw, come on. That Echizen and Ryuzaki from one class over shared a kiss. That's a good deed I did there."

"Before or after you ran them over with your horde?"

"Semantics."

"Did you receive something today, Fiona-chan? Looks like you were pretty popular back there." Yamamoto asked. He was _really_ gullible, wasn't he? That didn't look like the good sort of popularity back there...

A memory sparked into existence in the back of his mind. (_Fiona clasped her hands together. "Well, that's one girl off the list.") _

"Hell no. I wasn't planning on smooching anyone today." She shrug her shoulders with a nonchalant grin.

Tsuna's frown deepened. "You didn't really decline all of them, did you?" That sounded really heartless. Especially for someone who had organized the whole thing to 'counter the black cloud of Disciplinary Committee'.

She waved his claim off. "They were only after my body," she answered with a dramatic sigh. Tsuna sputtered, waving the images away. "_Technically_ they didn't even get around to actually asking between all the 'Fiona, stop!' or 'Fiona, please!'. I'm really fast when I want to be." She grinned mischievously.

_(Fuuta smiled back. "Fiona-nee's name has been mentioned approximately 6734 today.")_

Reborn hummed to himself and Tsuna had a gut feeling that the baby knew something they didn't. "Did Fuuta tell you what this is about, Reborn?" Tsuna whispered while Fiona was distracted replaying her highlights of the day, more often than not involving walking over people and using them as hostages to get out of sticky situations.

The baby looked up at him from beneath the shade of his fedora, Leon drawing lazy circles across the length of his tiny shoulders. "You really don't know yet?"

Fiona tucked a loose strand behind her ear, heaving an irritated sigh. For some reason the conversation circled back to the eternal conflict between the two Italian transfer students. "I should've punched you when I had the chance yesterday."

Gokudera crossed his arms. "What's the difference? We can settle this now."

"But I'm not in the mood," she answered with a tilt of her head, inspecting her nails. "I remedied my issues myself."

_(Fiona pushed the small boy out of the way. "I've been itching for some stress relief. Nobody wants to appreciate me today. So I won't appreciate nobody either.")_

And then it dawned on Tsuna. It should've been so obvious with her. All the time she'd almost skinned Gokudera alive for so much as touching her hair or the constant change of fashionable sunglasses. "You planned this all along, didn't you?" Reborn's hum and smile tripled. He slid his hat lower as to not show. Tsuna couldn't believe it. "All this time you only..." Yamamoto and Gokudera stared at him with confusion written all over their faces.

Reborn cleared his throat. "Fiona was among the top three females in the Mafia that a man would want to give a gift to on Valentine's Day." With a knowing glance, he added, "For safety reasons if nothing else. A woman's wrath can be hazardous."

"And since White Day is your variant of that event," Fiona inspected her other hand. "It's hard to break out of habits."

No way. No. Way. "You mean you just...?"

"Well, I felt a little underappreciated after my discharge from the hospital. I had to take matters into my own hands."

"But half the school wanted to kill you!" Tsuna exclaimed increduled. It had been more difficult _not_ to hear the whispered words of sacrifice on the corridors. Surely she couldn't have anticipated that sort of outrage?

Fiona shrug her shoulders, smile dancing across her lips. "In a position like mine you learn to appreciate even your greatest enemy. Any form of attention is good enough for me, really. Why do you think I stuck around hospital for so long? Couldn't walk around with scratches like that, you know." He couldn't help gaping like a fish caught outside a bowl. She lowered her shades just enough to show her bright eyes. "Operation White Day: Appreciation Time for Fiona. Success!"

Seriously: What. Is. _Wrong._ with the people Reborn picks up?!

* * *

**A/N:**

**Phew! We got there in the end. Vanity carries you a long way apparently. :D Sorry if its a little raw, it's not edited all that much since it's more for fun than anything.  
**

**Two facts: I don't think Fuuta can do his Ranking anymore. It's not explicitly stated in the Anime/Manga but there's been hints and that's why I kind of gave a vague hint here as well. (I actually had him write down a ranking in the first version, then remembered and fixed my mistake). Second: Bianchi is among the top three females as well. For your own safety you better have a gift ready if you're male.  
**

**Who found the easter egg? It's a reference to another manga. :p**

**Anyhow, next time (maaaaaaabye next week if I make it) the new term is starting! Back to shenanigans! But before that...**

* * *

**Extended Cut!  
**

* * *

Fiona hummed to herself as she walked home after a successful day, a bounce to her step betraying her good mood. Nothing beats a girl's need for proper attention, even if she did have to stay longer to help with accessing the damage, discarding myriads of unused gifts and some horrifying hate letters addressed to her. Even Kusakabe had stared wide-eyed at the amount of latter.

Ah, she felt so loved and ten times prettier than the day before. She stopped abruptly in the middle of the street, the setting sun warm to her face. "Hey, you can come out now. No need to be shy."

Timid steps reached her hearing and she turned around to meet a boy confronting her; hair dishevelled, lips swollen, and a plaster across the length of his cheek. Fiona hummed again as she stepped up to the boy, mussing up his hair some more, parting the ends where they should be, before taking a good look at her work. "Don't do gel ever again. This suits you much better. Katsuo, right?"

His eyes widened in surprise and a blush crept up his neck but he nodded. As if he didn't trust his own voice this time around, he simply thrust a wrinkled but still neatly wrapped elongated package into her hands, a simple red binding topping it off. She threw him a questioning glance. "Right now?"

He nodded. Fiona laughed and carefully picked her way through the binding until she eventually dug up the black box beneath. She lifted the lid only to reveal a comb—a chocolate comb to be precise. A warm smile spread her lips. "That's really cute."

Katsuo blushed deep red by now, fidgeting with his fingers. "I... I really wanted to give you this today."

"I noticed." A breathy laugh escaped her as she remembered the couple occasions he'd failed. Three's the charm, eh? He smiled shyly, shoulders tense yet relieved all at once. "Well, you want your reward..." She leaned in close and placed a featherlight kiss on his cheek. "Thank you," she whispered and she truly meant it.

He fell over, unconscious.

Fiona sighed. He had a long way to go. She closed the lid and placed a hand to her hip. "I'm not dragging bodies around again, Reborn. You better have something ready."

The baby landed on the boys unconscious form and shrug his shoulders. "We'll think of something."


	14. A Whole New Term

**I don't own ********_Katekyō Hitman Reborn!_****.**

**Just a quick note: You guys are _awesome_. Every single one of you that's reading this is** **awesome by default now and should be cuddled for all eternity. The story has received so much love and positive reception from you guys, I could take off to Neverland right now, pixie dust or not, that happy am I. Love ya!  
**

**Guest Reviews:**

_Too Lazy: _**Hey to you, too! :D You might be lazy but you're very polite in turn! Thanks for reading and leaving such a positive comment. I hope to hear more from you. ;p Enjoy this new chapter!**

_Hannah: _**Hahaha, she's a mess, indeed. Even I can't keep up with her reasoning at times! It's fun watching her grow in ways I haven't planned, though. As for Hibari: while he might've come to terms with the occasional mess (so long as there's some benefit) he's never gonna soften up in his ways. They'll be bickering and chasing each other to the ends of time, mark my words! And damn, mistakes always manage to sneak in. Woopsie. I swooped down on the last chapter to eradicate it! Thanks for pointing it out. :)** **I had a great start at college so far and I'm positively pumped to write more of this story, simply because it's fun and I manage to entertain you guys, therefore I'll try my best with the upcoming chapters as well! Thank you again for your review and onto the story you go!**

* * *

** Target XIII: A Whole New Term**

* * *

There was a certain sort of peace to find on the morn of a new school year. A day where you can lounge about for just a little longer than usual because there's only an assembly to attend in the early hours; where the apartment is cleaned up nicely after a short spring break and the birds chirp a merry song by your windowsill. No phone call disrupting your sleep. No immoral business to do but catch up the lost amount of said slumberous luxury. Cue _Morning Mood_ by Edvard Gried type of morning here.

Fiona rolled over and gave off a long sigh. Lost in her own personal sea of long hair, pillows and sheets, fatigue quickly trickled in after a restless night. The warmth against her bare legs left her body cozy and lazy, eyes droopy and heavy until she felt her muscles relax with the steady beat of her own heart. It was a serene moment of bliss.

Aaaaand that's when the knocking started.

_Ignore it. The doorbell's electricity is plugged out. A little knocking doesn't hurt nobody. _She nestled deeper into the white sea. It was all a simple matter of willpower to tune out unnecessary sounds. She earned a day off.

_Knock knock knock. _Whoever it was apparently didn't think she deserved it.

_Knock knock knock. _Pretty persistent, too.

_KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK._

"Can't a woman sleep in peace?!" she roared. Instantly awake, she stumbled out of bed and over to the door to give whoever-the-jerk a piece of her mind. Clearly the intention of this early visitor was to sabotage her rest. Which meant she could slap them across the face at least _once_.

She ripped the door open unceremoniously. "What?"

Kusakabe didn't even blink at her glare. "Did you cut the doorbell?"

Perceptive boy. She crossed her arms. One of the spaghetti straps of her top slid down her shoulder. "So what if I did?"

"I've been knocking for a while." His eyes slid down in tune with the strap. Credit where it's due: he didn't fall over unconscious.

She flicked the strap back up and shrugged. "So what if you did?"

He gathered his leather-pristine form quickly. _Almost_ didn't look annoyed by her demeanor. The scowl was in the starting. "You don't look very sick today." He was also well-informed to her absence. She better make sure to fob him off before he dragged her along to assembly. That's just a certain kind of boring she didn't wish to experience so early on, thank you very much.

Fiona pointed at her scantly clad pajama state. "I don't need to be physically sick to get a day off." With Shamal being their doctor at school she could do however she pleased but most of the times the vice prefect (devil in training) knew when _not_ to trust the doctor. Which was always, really, in regards to women. "I've been working very hard and need to rest like any other human being," she finished.

"I've seen you sitting in at least eight different coffee shops over spring break. Didn't look like you were working all that much." It was his turn to cross his arms.

"I'm very picky about my coffee. You 'been stalking me?" He's persistent as always today. Au revoir, sleep. Since he wasn't in the Mafia she couldn't just tell him about all the little intelligence she had to take care of because, oh right, she was reinstated and therefore had a part-time job next to being a middle school student in disguise.

She really felt like shoving that into his face to blow off steam. Oh well.

Her fingers lazily combed a way through the long mane let loose. "If you're here about the preparations for assembly..." She leaned back inside, checked the time. "Well, I guess it's too late for that now. Shall I continue sleeping in peace then?" She gripped the door handle tighter. "Yes, I shall!" She spun around. His hand caught her shoulder in a firm grip. Aw, crap.

"Not so fast."

"I'm a deer caught in your Elvis-ly headlights."

The satisfaction was palpable in his tone. "The Disciplinary Committee kindly asks the Student Council for some assistance."

Ah. _Kindly_ never sounds good.

* * *

Tsuna looked up into the sky. Blue and clear of clouds, it promised to be warm and bright. He took it as a good omen for the start of their new term; a new school year. Gokudera had caught up with him on his way to school as usual but so far everything looked as regular as could be. Even Reborn had held back on his usual foreboding comments for once.

"Looks like we're in the same class again," Gokudera said out of the blue, smiling almost warmly.

Tsuna shook his head. "We haven't even seen the class announcements yet."

Gokudera simply raised his fist in excitement, grinning from one cheek to the other. "No need to! You and I will be together for 10 or even 20 years, no matter what!" The smaller boy offered a wonky smile in return and sighed. _This is one of those unsavory but inseparable relationships. At least he's enthusiastic._

He caught the sigh. "What's the matter?"

"It's nothing," Tsuna answered with a crooked smile. Somehow it felt odd, talking of new class announcements and the possibility of not being together after all they'd went through (mostly involuntary). "But I'm sure we'll be in the same class again." He looked up when he heard the sound of talking. The voices sounded familiar.

Kyoko and her brother passed them on the street. Kyoko blinked as she caught his eyes, then smiled brightly. "Good morning!"

And Tsuna melted inwardly as he returned the greeting. The day really promised to go well!

They stopped in the middle of a crossing, briefly catching up. "We're going to be 2nd-years today. I hope we're in the same class again!" He nodded fervently inwardly. _Yes, yes, I hope so, too! This day must be fate! Ah, Kyoko-chan~  
_

Then her brother caught up, shoving his face in between them, yelling out a "Good morning, Sawada!" himself that startled Tsuna into obedience. He almost defensively answered back and before long it was the four of them walking to school, with Gokudera scowling, muttering something about _not being alone with Juudaime_ and Ryohei talking about training. Well, at least he got partly what he wished for: that one bright ray of light that is Kyoko-chan!

"Oh! Isn't that Benny over there? OI, BENNY!" Ryohei suddenly exclaimed and waved like mad. Tsuna turned his eyes forward, searching the streets. And where there was light, there always followed darkness as they say. Fiona wasn't difficult to spot next to the black splotch against the scenery that was a... a Disciplinary Committee prefect?!

With her long braid dancing behind and her trademark sunglasses sitting atop the bridge of her nose, she raised her hand in a casual wave. "Mornin' everyone."

As they got close, Tsuna gulped. It wasn't just any prefect, it was the vice prefect himself: Kusakabe Tetsuya! He bowed his head ever so slightly in greeting. As long as Fiona wasn't dead set on provoking him, events could still turn out well and not hazardous to their health. "Good morning!" Ryohei simply beamed at him as well. "What are you two doing out? Training already?!"

Fiona snorted. "Couscous here needs my help for something only the Student Council can do apparently." She leaned in close, palm by her mouth as she whispered to Tsuna, "I say he's lying. I'm in for trouble, mark my words." He wasn't certain whether he should feel sorry or be scared. After all, he got dragged into her mess more often than he liked.

Kyoko chuckled as if nicknaming the Disciplinary Committee was the tamest thing in the world to do. Kusakabe raised a brow but Tsuna saw his lips twitch. "Is Elvis not enough anymore?"

Fiona shot him a bright smile. "You deserve something unique."

"Truly. I'm so honored."

She patted his arm. "Don't mention it."

Ryohei laughed out loud. "You two are extreme fun in the morning!" They sent him a straight-faced glance. "Let's be in the same class again!" He punched the air a couple times in excitement.

Fiona crossed her arms. "So I'm the one to pull your sorry ass along into college? That better be worth its weight in coffee beans."

"Who needs college? The extreme is what I always strive for!" Gokudera sighed and looked away from the rapidly falling apart situation while Ryohei pumped the air more excitedly. "With that, the path ahead of me will open!"

Fiona had difficulties holding her smile back. "_Caso disperato?_"

Gokudera only groaned. "_Cretino._"

Even Tsuna had to whisper to Kyoko, "Is it alright to let him do that?" She shrugged her shoulders almost apologetic. He's always like this, huh...

Well, at least the group was gathering, one by one again. The odd bunch of friends he had. It was a surprisingly comforting sight to be among them, gathered so spontaneously in the morning and chatting casually and at ease with each other.

Then something grabbed him by his wrist, ripping him from his thoughts. "Let's go, Sawada!" Huh? "Full speed all the way to school!" _Huuuuuuh?_

"Juudaime!"

"Big brother!"

Why did he only ever meet the strange ones?!

* * *

It was silent only for a short while in the Reception Room. "Why exactly do I need to do this? Give me one good reason." She gave the Kanji blurring one into another the stink eye. In all its wickedness: a dick move.

Hibari shrug his shoulders, eyes closed. "The teachers asked."

Fiona gave him a sidelong glance. _Just you wait, you comfortably dozing head prefect. _"The operative word is _I_. Why do _I_ need to do this?"

"They _specifically_ asked the Student Council." She rolled her eyes. Two can play this game apparently. She wasn't eliminated yet. Like she'd give up this easily, damn it all.

The folders rustled as she flipped through the pages carelessly. And there was a whole box of them waiting for her to go through. Therefore she continued to ask, sweetly, dangerously: "In the morning of a new school year?"

All it did was make his head slip to one shoulder as he nestled deeper into his nap. He had a grand time sleeping despite her ticking bomb of a mood. With a sigh she let him be and got back to her tedious work. Somewhere down the chain of command someone managed to make the one person do sorting work that could not for her life decipher all but three Kanji. One of them being _food_. Which she was in dire need of, come to think of it. Kusakabe had dragged her along the moment she declared herself presentable, not fed.

Her eyes glided over the head prefect's sleeping form. Meanwhile her _feet_ glided over the gray carpet in a familiar escapee fashion. Slow and steady. One step with each heave of his chest. With any luck she'd manage to open the door without him noticing before hell broke loose. It was very well oiled, wouldn't creak. Right, slow and steady, just one more step—

_Knock knock knock._

By all the pork's jealous heavens, her mind and body just short-circuited!

—Hibari cracked open one eye. "Enter."

A prefect walked in with another box. "I got the last folders that need sorting." He placed them next to the other box by the table before leaving as quickly as he had come. The door shut close behind him with a click.

Hibari turned his gaze on her. "Did you attempt to flee?"

Fiona casually flipped through a folder, nestled into the very same spot she'd been before. "Not at all."

He leaned back into his chair and spun to face her head-on. "I heard your stomach grumble a moment ago."

"Which is no reason to flee the room, what are insinuating? I can deal with hunger," she answered smoothly. _By all the pork's jealous heavens?_ Whatever had gone wrong with that sort of cursing? Seriously lost her mind capabilities for a moment there. Close one.

Fiona could sense the smugness miles ahead. _Pork. _"You're avoiding looking at me," he stated. What is it with these guys' perceptiveness today? She was getting sloppy. _Pork. _Get the pork out of your system, woman. She couldn't leave the provocation standing in the room just like that. _Do I want pork that badly?_ It was nothing less than a challenge placed in one sentence.

Her eyes found his. _Jealous. _"Now, why would I—" _Pork._

She snorted. Her hand instantly covered her mouth. Hibari's brows went up.

Another _knock knock knock_ saved her hide and she blessed the visitor in every worldly religion she could think of. "Enter," Hibari said almost automatically, piercing gaze never straying from her face. Almost cracked the ice again with this incident; it's_ really_ thinning out the way those blue streaks turned up ever so slowly.

"Hibari-san, the... uh..." Whoever the lackey was, he wasn't hardened enough not to show his surprise at the sudden proximity of the two people inside. Namely his superior's tonfa by the Student Council president's neck, as she was half-standing (not fast enough to bolt, blame the hunger) on the couch with him pressing her down into the back lean. From the corner of her eyes she saw one of the folders fold in on itself as it dropped to the ground, the only proof that movement had occured within the room.

"Speak." The word transfixed the air like a sharp needle. Hibari was very much concentrating on keeping her in place when all he managed was one word at a time.

Given her problematically seated position she couldn't face the door properly, only heard the sharp click of boots as the Elvisman saluted hastily. "Yes! The assembly is over and our preparations have been wrapped up as well! We're only awaiting your next orders!"

She wouldn't be the same Benivieni Fiona if she didn't comment on that. "I missed out on all the fun," she pouted.

Dangerous, _very_ dangerous glint indeed.

Still, he pulled back. Fiona shuddered a breath of relief and slumped back into the leather. Hibari turned around to regard the other male, tonfas hidden away behind his swaying jacket. He was so finely built, she wondered not for the first time how he could pack such a punch. And where the amount of cruelty needed to fuel the violent intent hailed from.

"Everyone is gathered?" Hibari asked.

"Yes, sir!"

"Good." He gave her a short, sharp glance. "Herbivore, you come with me."

Fiona blinked. While she would gladly... She pointed at the unfinished stacks of folders. He didn't say anything. She raised her hands. "Don't scold me afterward."

"You'll _finish_ this afterward."

Tsuna and the rest better have a greater start to this new term than she did so far.

* * *

**Meanwhile**

* * *

Tsuna panted hard as he looked left and right. "I think he ran in here," he wheezed and pointed to the Science Room. Yamamoto and Gokudera went ahead, sliding the door open quietly. Yamamoto then looked at Tsuna and nodded._ We'll get him now._

The three boys sneaked into the room, careful not to make any sound. Tsuna even held his breath. He could see Vongolavsky's—Reborn's!—black hat move behind one of the tables. And so did Gokudera who dived right for it the moment he got close.

"Got him!" he exclaimed and raised his catch for all to see.

Tsuna's eyes twitched. An anatomy puppet.

Yamamoto laughed. "He got us again!"

"Damn it! Falling for a childish trick like this..." Gokudera uttered in defeat. He was just about to punch the puppet when—

Its eyes rolled sideways. "You're too naïve."

—_when it started to talk?!_

Gokudera let go with a terrified yell and Tsuna and Yamamoto followed with a start. Mid-flight, the puppet's head popped open, with Reborn jumping out. "Ciao!" he greeted. And then he was gone like the wind again, speeding out into hallways once more.

Definitely one of those longer days.

* * *

**Back to the Danger Zone**

* * *

Fiona pocketed her hands into the depths of her skirt as they stepped out into the open. The volume scaled by a triplefold, the short break between assembly and classes providing just enough time to catch up on recent happenings and turn the school yard into a bustling bee hive of voices, chatter and laughter.

"Where are we going?" she asked. The first students on the yard took notice of the walking pair and made a wide berth around them. If there's one good perk she had to name about being close to Hibari Kyoya, it was that conversations generally stayed private with him. Nobody sane enough would ever step inside a thirty feet radius close to him.

"You'll see." He just briefly glanced over his shoulder, checking up on her. They brushed close to the school buildings' walls.

Fiona hummed in thought. "Huh. Consider me intrigued." They kept left-ways. They were either headed for the sport clubs or their respective grounds. She absent-mindedly let her eyes stray over the students on the grounds, spotting a few new faces among the usual ones. First-years probably, gauging by the way they were quickly dragged off to the opposite direction by their elders who knew better than to cross this devil's path. She approved of the action. They had better learn fast who he was. She wasn't going to stand up for another Friendship Committee bloodbath.

Speaking of bloodbath: there was Ryohei just two floors above her, almost throwing himself out of the windows in one of his screaming bouts, apparently trying to convert the whole school yard at once to join the Boxing Club. As far as she knew there was a rule against that sort of thing. Not that she would mind but...

Shooting a quick glance in Hibari's direction, she kicked up a pebble, bounced it off her elbow and flung it precisely into the boxer's face. He shut up at once. Hibari turned around. Fiona whistled. Better safe than sorry, he'd thank her for sure. Someday. When he wasn't as oblivious to his surroundings.

_At least_, she thought with a small smile, she got her much needed appreciation time. With a skip to her step she caught up to her dangerous colleague, keeping her stride equal to his. It's healthy to be the center of attention every once in a while, even if its by being avoided. "By the way, didn't you graduate already?" she asked out of the blue as they rounded a corner.

He looked ahead as he answered. "The question seems to repeat itself. You herbivores don't know better." She filed that info away for later. Somebody daring enough to ask him a question must be worth a background check at the very least. It could just be Tsuna, though. They do tend to run into each other regularly. "I can choose to be in any year I wish," he finished.

Fiona's brows shot up. "That's even more inconsistent logic than I have." He didn't take the bait and stayed silent.

A couple minutes later Fiona was sure their destination was to be the backside of the gym. If that wasn't a perfect spot for murder, now that she thought about it. "Where are you taking me...?" she trailed off when she spotted the dark ominous cloud in front of her.

Twenty-something distinctly delinquent and shady-looking students perfectly lined up in front of nobody else but Kusakabe awaited her. The devil-in-training gave the messy group a hand sign and they instantly bowed 90 degrees, yelling a manly, scruff, united, "Hibari-san!" upon his entrance.

Fiona stood rooted to the spot. "Uh-huh."

All eyes fell on her. _Uh._

She dodged to the side, mouthing a _Don't mind me_. Sometimes it's simply better _not_ to bask in the center of attention.

Hibari stepped up to the bunch, uncaring yet demanding and instilling respect. The closest to him was a head taller than he and a good deal broader but he was completely at ease. "So you're the new bunch." Fiona prepped herself up for a good show. Hibari wasn't one for crowds, more of a loner he enjoyed the solitude that only silence could bring. But sometimes his ego carried him through a crowd with breeze without lashing out at others. That's mostly when he was too determined to achieve something (e.g. kill her for being a returning nuisance) to mind the people.

Kusakabe stopped to stand beside her. She raked her head up and nodded at the assembled mess of potential mass murderers—because they sure as hell didn't look like middleschoolers, screw the barely fitting uniforms. "What's this all about?" Well, neither did Kusakabe in that matter but she'd grown used to him. Knucklebone Eduardo would probably get along with him real well. She should play matchmaker.

He crossed his arms over his chest. "New members for the Disciplinary Committee. If they make it. We usually initiate them into our ranks on the first day of a new term."

So Hibari is probably testing his private herbivore/carnivore limits and whether he would stand the people. I see, I see.

He quickly found one that was standing on the verge of that scale. A tall, dark, muscled bundle of raw testosterone with a thick scar on his bull neck. Middleschooler, sure thing. Whoever said _her_ disguise was stretching the boundaries again? "You."

Mr. Bull stood straighter, as rigid as a stick before the master of all delinquents. Fiona had to give it to the head prefect; for someone so much smaller and leaner, he had them wiggling beneath his presence. She scanned the faces of the men. Compared to them Hibari was also a much more welcoming sight to sore female eyes. Must be the Japanese effect coupled with the cherry blossoms blooming this month, it enhanced his fine features only further—"Fight her."

What?

"What?" Mr. Bull exclaimed out loud. His eyes briefly jumped to her before returning to the head prefect, whose tonfas were at the ready all too soon.

"You cannot follow orders, herbivore?"

Muscled arms raised ever so slightly, helpless to the morality. "She's just a girl—"

Wrong answer. It only took the head prefect one strike to draw blood and another to knock him out unconscious. Kusakabe swiftly dragged the body off to the side as the rest watched with renewed anticipation coloring the air.

Fiona felt as if somebody had just placed her on a pedestal. With no pretty dress and coffee to calm her nerves beforehand.

Meanwhile Hibari stepped up to the next in line: taller than the one before and looking even meaner if that was physically possible. "You wish to be bitten to death, too?"

"Definitely not!" With these words he charged at her. Her eyes widened in surprise but she danced out of the way of the attack quick enough. He rammed into the bricks behind her but the action only further enraged him as he targeted her once more.

She ducked beneath his next blow. When it was clear that nobody would intervene, she turned peevish. Her attacker clasped empty air and roared in anger. Oh, well, here goes the stress meter rising again.

And the first idea popped instantly to mind. She pointed accusingly at Hibari. "You think I don't know what you're planning?" Incoming fist. Dodge. Still pointing the finger. "If I punch him, you punch me because I'm violating the school rules," she exclaimed as she avoided another hit that would have sent a normal person flying. Brute strength he owned, but not nearly enough speed to match it.

"The Student Council asked for cooperation with the Disciplinary Committee," was his simple answer. She was so shell-shocked she spun around to face him, screw the ravaging bear.

"Cooperation is not _'I'm going to kick you out of school because I tricked you into fighting, which is against the rules'_. You can't hate my guts _that_ much, can you? I found Mukuro for you!" She paused as her own words sunk in. "Wait a sec, you _actually_ tricked me into this fight, didn't you?"

Hibari's aura simply took on a more bloodthirsty vibe.

"You talk too much, annoying girl!" her opponent yelled into her face, suddenly too close for comfort, teeth bared, angry fist aiming for her stomach—

"Stop interrupting my line of thoughts, asshole."

—next thing anybody knew, he was down on his knees, his necktie wrapped firmly around her hand, and struggling to breathe. She placed one of her feet on his chest, pushing him back inch by painful inch as his hapless attempts to gasp for air turned futile with the necktie stretching and tightening to accommodate. His eyes popped out big and round and full of fear. "Be glad I'm not wearing high heels right now," she said sweetly.

Then his eyes rolled into his head and he went slack, unconscious.

She turned to Hibari, shrugging her shoulders indifferently. "Technically, I didn't punch him."

Ice and steel made for a striking combination, she noticed for the first time. At least in this boy. He bowed his head ever so slightly, curious, provoking, thoughtful. "Then continue not violating the rules. A kowtow should suffice."

Fiona blinked. "Continue?" She raised her arms. "Oh no, we're gonna have a talk about this tricking of yours. You can't expect me to enter this kind of relationship—"

Tonfa right to her face. "You're fighting all of them. Now." _No! _He. Tricked. Her. Did she slip up, soften somehow? How did he manage that, placing her on that podest? "I don't need weaklings." That could almost come off as a compliment. A completely off-the-charts zero romantic one that you had to find with a magnifying glass—

Hey, he's distracting her from the main problem again!

She was just about to protest but things turned into a free-for-all at the sound of his words and the next guy stepped up out of his own accord. He cracked his knuckles ominously. "I had heard rumors of the Namimori Ogress but I never thought that it'd be someone like—"

Change of priorities.

In one fluent move she snatched the head prefect's black jacket off his fine shoulders and strangulated another windpipe. "How is that rumor still spreading?" she asked darkly.

* * *

**In a Better Place...**

* * *

"Stop!" Gokudera yelled across the corridors. This chase would never end at his rate. All Reborn had done was have them goose chase him all day long. Tsuna silently hoped that Hibari wouldn't get a hold of them because that would turn things sour at an alarming rate.

"Stop!" he shouted again—wait a second. Tsuna looked over his shoulder.

"Lambo?!" What was that kid doing here, popping out of thin air? "Why are you in school?!"

Lambo smiled cheeky-airy-happy. The worst combination. "If I get a hold of that, I can be in the same class as you guys!" It doesn't work like that... Where did he even pick that up...

Why does he even have to ask? The answer is clear.

Tsuna frowned, trying not to loose his cool with the dangerous cow. "But you're not a middleschooler." All it did was make Lambo laugh only all the more.

"Lambo-san's not worried about that!" Then his expression turned fierce and determined (for a baby, that is) and he pulled out the grenades. Tsuna's face derailed in shock, if he detonated these here then—

AND HOW DOES HE MANAGE TO TRIP OVER HIS OWN FEET AGAIN?!

—they were doomed.

The sticks flew out of his hands.

_BOOM._

* * *

**...We Make Things Worse for Another  
**

* * *

Fiona coughed as the dust and smoke cleared and the last bricks whizzed past her head. She looked up at the large hole in the wall and into a corridor that shouldn't be visible from where she stood at. A locker dangled dangerously close over the edge before gravity showed mercy and it fell, landing with a metallic thud by her feet.

"And there goes the next furniture," she sighed. Then she fixed her dishevelled hair. One moment its delinquents, the other a sudden bombardment; school never gets boring, eh?

Kusakabe gave her a disbelieving look as he stepped out from behind a tree. "Before you even ask: I have no clue who's behind this, Couscous," she answered the unsaid question.

He didn't look convinced. And when Lambo peeked over the rim of disaster with a teary-eyed expression, he simply threw her a meaningful glance.

Fiona raised a finger. "I correct my statement: I _didn't_ have a clue." She threw Hibari's jacket back to its rightful owner who was looking as ready as a T-Rex to bite someone's head off.

Hibari caught it with ease. "You." Creaking, cracking, _breaking_ ice.

"I..." She gave in to fate this time, "will assist the Disciplinary Committee in every way possible."

* * *

**In The End  
**

* * *

Reborn bounced atop a desk in the middle of the classroom. Kyoko, Hana, Yamamoto, Gokudera, Tsuna, they were all successfully gathered in the same class once more. Fiona just entered class upon his calling and dragged Ryohei right along. These teens, this particular group, promised to be worthwhile. "It looks like everyone was able to advance together."

Gokudera leaned down, grinning and proud as he retold his misadventures to the baby hitman. "It was a pain! A weird counselor tried to separate me and the Tenth!"

Fiona sighed and placed a hand over her face upon remembering hers. "Be glad you haven't been asked to cooperate with the Disciplinary Committee, it's unimaginable torture. Why did I ever bring that up on Valentines?"

Kyoko chuckled at that and squeezed her arm in a comforting fashion. "I'm glad we're all together."

Ryohei nodded vigorously. "Yeah! I made sure we 3rd-years stayed together, too!" He proceeded to box Fiona's other arm.

Yamamoto smiled and nodded, one hand casually pocketed away. "These members really do have to be." It would have been fine to leave it at that, but, as always, temper and disposition vary.

"We don't need you," Gokudera scoffed.

A hand clasped his shoulder tightly. "Leave my favorite alone, you useless jerk," Fiona intervened.

"Oooh! Another battle?!" Ryohei closed in on them.

"Maa, maa, clam down, all of you." Yamamoto squeezed himself in between like an insurmountable wall.

Reborn grasped the chance and looked up directly to his student before he chose to be distracted by their antics as well. "Tsuna, they wished to be with you." For a split-second Tsuna looked thoughtful. But with a warm smile and mild surprise, he eventually nodded. Reborn was pleased. "You need to meet their expectations as the family's boss."

Tsuna's face derailed. "I'm not a boss!"

It's a good start to a new term.

* * *

**A/N: Because a new school year is the time for even more mayhem. What mess will they have to go through next time, I wonder? Stay tuned!**

**Translations:**

_Caso disperato?_ **—** **(A)** **Hopeless**** case?**_  
_

_Cretino _**—** **Idiot / Simpleton**_  
_


	15. A Mysterious Case of Thievery

**I don't own ********_Katekyō Hitman Reborn!_****.**

* * *

** Target XIV: A Mysterious Case of Thievery**

* * *

The red hoodie stood out against the blue sky but nobody spared the person sitting atop the roofs a glance. Whenever a gaze did stray over the sun-bleached tiles, there was nothing to find but the vastness of blue; the shadow of red invisible in the refraction of light, in the dark of a cloud, amidst the flutter of feathers its companion provided.

With practiced ease, the shadow stretched out one arm for the large bird to land on, black feathers rustling in silent whispers. "You did well," the hooded observer cooed to the bird as it nuzzled into the crook of its master's shoulder. Below them, blond hair swayed in an ignorant breeze as the sunglasses reflected the gleam of the sun with each step the female took, unaware of her followers.

The shadow melted with its surroundings again, disappearing out of sight under the flapping of wings soaring for the skies and a foreboding smile.

* * *

Fiona couldn't believe her bad luck. One hour earlier than usual was she roused from her slumber by the grumpy voice of Kusakabe, who had sounded as if he had just gotten up himself, telling her that the teachers needed something from her. Naturally, she'd hung up on him and went back to sleep. Like hell was she cataloging something again.

_Now_ she had a bundle of reports pressed to her chest that she oh-so-casually dropped on the couch table in the middle of the Reception Room. Hibari creaked open a lid and Hibird perked up in excitement, flying circles around her form, chirping _"Hibari, Hibari!__" _at every odd turn. Despite her immense love for the bird, the chirping didn't help the pounding forming behind her forehead.

In an odd reversal of roles it was she that spoke up in the rude, demanding manner first. "What's this?"

Hibari gave the papers but a glance before shutting his eyes once more. "Something you will clean up before I wake again." Hibird whizzed across the room and nestled on his head.

"I don't think so," she provocantly started and picked up a random paper from the batch. "I'm in school for nothing short of two minutes and there's more than fifteen cases of theft and zero concerning injured patients in the infirmary _nor_ a new order list of bandages, plasters and pain killers." She made a mental note of getting herself some medicine from Shamal later. The headache was starting to become unpleasant.

She let the paper flutter back down and crossed her arms over her chest. "Did you change your profession?"

His eyes shot open in annoyance at the accusation. Add the fact that someone was disrupting the peace of his beloved school and we have a royally ruined morning for Hibari Kyoya cooked up. Especially with her noble self around to poke him into madness.

She gathered the papers and flung them at his table before leaning over the opposite side of him, watching as his eyes scanned through the contents she could never read as fast as he. She pretty much just repeated from hearsay what the principal had poured down on her the moment he spotted her in the near vicinity of school. The rest was just showing off for drama's sake.

"Why did you not inform me of this earlier?" Ugh, not you, too. _If the principal wasn't scared out of his mind to speak to you, we wouldn't have this problem!_

"It's Monday morning and I treasure my sleep," she shot back instead. The headache made her a little cranky. "I just heard of it myself. Any suspects or possible recidivists with a criminal record?"

He looked to her. She gave him a dry laugh. Very funny.

Suddenly there was noise outside; shouting and yelling mixed with a lot of profanities that didn't quite manage to get through the ajar window. They exchanged a glance and Fiona stepped up to the glass overlooking the school yard.

The scene was quick to spot and as quick to dissolve when the Disciplinary Committee prefects arrived, pulling the angry students apart. "What do you mean I stole your pen?! I gave it back to you just a minute ago!"

"That was _my_ birthday present and you had it in your bag! How do you explain that?"

"How would I have opened my bag without you noticing, you idiot!"

"Keep quiet, both of you!" one of the prefects yelled over the racket.

The bag in question lay on the ground with its innards completely disarrayed and all over the yard. Hibari slanted his eyes, displeased. "It seems like the thief is a student."

Fiona raised her brows. "You know it's never as easy as this." The case was bigger than this. There's no way the boy could've been stealing from the teachers _and_ classrooms since morning when he'd only just arrived.

Hibari stood up to his full height, emitting a menacing aura. He must've come to the same conclusion. "I will catch anyone responsible for disturbing the peace of my school." With one smooth move he picked up the jacket with the red head prefect band from the chair and swung it over his shoulders, leaving the room and her within it.

"Our school," she corrected half-heartedly before heading out herself.

* * *

Fiona bowed her head apologetically. "I'm sorry for intruding your class but the recent reports of thievery have the Student Council worried. I heard something was stolen from this room and wish to investigate the incident further, if you'd allow me."

Tsuna couldn't believe what he saw. Fiona was still Fiona, all right, no amount of rubbing his eyes could deny the properly done hair, foreign features and the too tall height for a middle schooler. But the politeness of the act, correct degree of the curt but demure bow and the reassuring smile she threw the curious, chattering students inside his classroom—that's where his identity crisis lay. Fiona's _never_ this polite.

"_Che._ What an act," Gokudera scoffed from one row behind him.

Yamamoto cocked his head to the side. "You think so?"

Student-Reborn nodded. "Totally soft-soaping the homeroom teacher."

Tsuna covered his eyes. Out of all the times he had to pop up on his desk... "Why are you here in the middle of class?" he heatedly whispered to the baby. "And in such a bad disguise, too!"

Reborn loosened his necktie a little, buttoned open the top button of his miniature uniform shirt, and mussed up his spiky hair some more. "Better?"

_Now you just look like a delinquent baby student!_

Meanwhile Fiona and the teacher had moved over to the other side of the room where their teacher opened the closet, showing her how it can only be done by the one key that was always in the drawer of the table, and with the classroom locked up over night and during break, he had never been worried about thievery before.

"The keys to the classrooms are in the teachers' lounge. I have no idea how the chalk could have been stolen without entering the lounge and picking up the keys." Chalk. They were talking about stolen _chalk _of all things?

Fiona placed a hand to her chin. "So you're saying the culprit might as well be a teacher."

The class sucked in their breath. Tsuna was yapping helplessly like a fish. She wouldn't dare...!

"The morning shift being the most suspicious ones."

She would. Fiona is, after all, never this polite.

Their homeroom teacher gulped. Fiona's presence had turned very dangerous, very demanding somehow, despite the friendly expression on her face meaning no evil. "Well, I am not one to point fingers at neither students nor my colleagues," he started. "But I _guess_ we should consider the _possibility_ that even adults are capable of... of such acts."

And just as sudden Fiona's presence turned all bubbly and brilliant smiles again. "That is true. The Disciplinary Committee would have my head if I simply overlooked the obvious, you understand." Tsuna's jaw dropped.

Reborn whistled in approval. "Right where it hurts."

The teacher massaged the back of his head, trying to look as cool as his sentiment earlier. The mere mention of the Committee had him breaking out in sweat, though. "Well, if that is all the Disci–, I mean Student Council, wishes to know, I would like to—"

"What the hell?!" All heads turned around. Tsuna had to look to the side, over to the windows. The yell came from a distraught Hana. She leaned over to Kyoko's desk next to her. "Hey, do you remember where I put away my music player?"

Kyoko looked surprised. "You put it in your bag, inside the pocket you usually do." Then her expression turned to one of worry. "Why? What's happened?"

Hana ruffled her dark hair in confusion. "I swear I had it just a moment ago. With all this talk about stolen things I checked up on it again and now it's gone! I can't find it anywhere."

Agitated murmurs arose and shattered the silence as suddenly as it had started. A theft, right before their very eyes. The teacher tried to calm the students down with little success.

Fiona's expression turned thoughtful.

* * *

A tiny _chink, _an inaudible gasp, that's all you heard from the dark between the walls. The shadow wound its way down the halls with practised ease, watching as the blonde searched and looked but always in the wrong places, never finding solutions, only more problems.

She erred. The shadow enjoyed that.

* * *

"Shouldn't you be asking the janitor for his keys instead of breaking into his office?" Reborn hummed as he watched Leon do his work. His little companion had turned into a green Bunsen burner and was currently busy in the process of melting the lock on the door down.

Fiona didn't avert her gaze from the chameleon as she answered, arms crossed over her chest in impatience. "The janitor turned in a sick day this morning. That's why I didn't even suspect him as a possible culprit." Still, there's something gnawing at the back of her head. Something's off.

Reborn shot her a glance. "What made you change your mind?"

"Nothing. He's not our thief." She pulled out her Student Council keychain. "But he's the only other person that has a master key to all the locks in school."

The baby watched her tuck the keys away again. "Why didn't you open the door with your key then?"

Fiona shrug her shoulders and looked at him for the first time. "I always wanted to melt down a lock." Gauging by the smell of burnt metal Leon did a good job of that so far.

"The thefts are continuing while you're playing around here."

She looked at the time on her watch once before answering. "I'm currently analyzing the thefts' patterns one by one. Until that's over I have a little time at my hands to check up on something." Surely the teachers' lounge didn't mind the extra work she had enforced on them, especially once she threw in the words 'Disciplinary Committee' and 'head prefect Hibari' a couple more times. They were checking up on the theft reports in her stead now; she had something else do to. The best whip is a spiked whip. Maybe that's why Hibari owned spiked tonfas.

Leon was close to breaking the door open. Reborn hopped on the female's shoulder. "That something being?"

The lock fell off with a clattering sound; a smoking, black barble of burnt and bent metal, crumbling in on itself in the afterglow. "The solution to our Locked Room mystery." She stepped inside.

With a scrutinizing gaze she checked the narrow surroundings: the office was small, no bigger than to house a desk and a few shelves filled to the brim with crates, again filled to the brim with tools, mops, lost and found items, anything you might need for random emergencies. Her target, though, was the corkboard opposite the desk. She stepped up to it.

Reborn inspected the corkboard as well. "The keys are still there," he said and pointed to the perfect row of hooks and keys. He let his arm fall. "And since the office was locked up, there's no way someone could have entered before us."

Fiona frowned. There's no windows either. "How would our suspect get inside a locked classroom otherwise?"

The first reported thefts occured before school. There was barely a soul on the grounds then: some early morning training for a sport club, patrols from Hibari, the odd teacher. Hence the classrooms were locked up and the only way to get inside would be to a) get the key from the Student Council president, b) get the key from the sick janitor, and c) get the classroom keys from the teachers' lounge; which was locked up and only accessible by the former two keys and by the principal.

The question remained: How did they get inside a locked room without outside help?

Gut feeling told her that those first fifteen thefts held a major key component to how the rest worked and how things kept disappearing from right under her nose. It's as if someone was deliberately provoking her and she was set on finding out the details and patterns behind it all. Everyone left trails of their personality lying around ready to be picked up. What was she missing...?

"This looks too professional to be a middleschooler's doing," she suddenly said. Instantly her headache thanked her with more pounding, as if the act of thinking appalled her brain. She brushed the irritating sensation off, focusing on the situation at hand. There's no presence in the corridor that stood out, familiar or not. No one ever saw the thief. If only this headache wouldn't intervene so horrendously. She was missing a big chunk of the picture.

"You say that so confidently," Reborn stated as a matter-of-fact.

Her eyes wandered over the keys on the corkboard. This was neither her first nor would it be the last Locked Room mystery. "It's too smooth. Everything," she muttered, taking in the emptiness of the room as if it were palpable. "Everything turns from locked to unlocked," she drawled out as an idea successfully wound its way past the headache like viscous honey. Now _that's_ a pattern.

Fiona gave Reborn a curt nod before heading out of the office. "Give me an hour."

* * *

Tsuna stretched his arms over his head and yawned, looking out of the window and into the bleary sky. It's like the weather was reflecting the current state of the school: depressed and moody.

A smear of color caught his attention and he quickly recognized Fiona's braid bouncing back and forth as she crossed the court yard with wide strides. "Do you think Fiona-san will be alright?" he found himself asking.

Gokudera grunted, following the smaller boy's gaze. "You shouldn't worry about her. Ever. At all. It's a waste of energy." Tsuna's eye twitched humorlessly. He wondered whether Gokudera could even uphold any form of respect to anyone else in the universe apart from him. He's always ready to take on the rest of the world, that's for sure.

Yamamoto rolled his head on his arms to his friends, ruffling the bed hair in form. He'd fallen asleep in class—not that they really had any class to begin with after Fiona's visit, Hana's theft and the couple prefects checking in on them every once in a while. Hibari had called out a school-wide quarantine and whoever dared to leave their classrooms would be considered a suspect to the case. The teacher had also disappeared into thin air, on Fiona's command this time and Tsuna was left to worry about Mafia tyranny once more. They were practically prisoners.

His classmates were chatting happily about the whole mess, conspiring on their own. The classroom buzzed like a beehive. Gokudera snapped, hurling his fist into his desk. "Shut up, all of you! I can't hear the Tenth over the noise!" It had it's intended effect.

Yamamoto smiled and nodded in Tsuna's direction. "Why are you asking, Tsuna?"

"Eh?" he startled. Then he rubbed the back of his head. "Well, she's been running around all day." He watched as another prefect walked past their door. "Reborn's missing, too." _I'm also worried about Hibari not showing up._ When the head prefect wasn't showing off his intimidating presence openly, something out of the ordinary was definitely going on. Or someone was about to get hurt _bad. _He shuddered.

Gokudera gleamed, all smiles, and clasped his ringed hands together. "Reborn-san is definitely on the thief's trail! No need to worry, he's one of Vongola's best hitmen after all!" The bomber could really switch personalities on the fly, depending on the person they were talking about...

Yamamoto frowned. "I hope so. Did you hear that the thefts have doubled by now?"

"Doubled?! How is that possible? The Disciplinary Committee is watching every corridor!"

The baseballer shrug his shoulders. "Beats me." His stomach suddenly growled and he laughed. "Ah, I think it's lunch time. We have no classes anyway, right?" Tsuna chuckled at his easygoing nature.

"Why won't you shut up!" Gokudera snapped at the class again, who'd picked up on their conspiring. He ruffled his hair in annoyance. "Ugh, let's go to the roof to eat, Juudaime. I can't stand these pathetic weaklings."

"But the Disciplinary—" Tsuna started but Gokudera had already shoved his desk away and grabbed his backpack, sending a glare to anyone daring to look. "HIE! Wait for me!" he sputtered and stumbled after the angry transfer student, Yamamoto following suit with a laugh and his hands folded behind his head.

* * *

The shadow snickered in the dark, watching the students come and go and despair; the black ones searching for something they couldn't find; the baby walking his secret ways with the expression of unknowing.

And in the dark blinked a light, breaking the silence with red, causing the snicker to turn into a thin-lipped smile. "It's time to step things up a little."

* * *

The prefects guarding the gym gave her but a curt nod as Fiona passed through. The big hall smelled of rubber, blood and fear.

Fiona sighed before unscrewing her Thermos bottle. She found the correct place all right.

Hibari basked in the glory of his power. "You." His tonfa grazed the jaw of a kneeling third-year. "You're wasting my time. Talk."

The shiver that shook the boy's body was visible even from afar; hands shaking uncontrollably in their confines behind his back, teeth chattering before they let out a pitiful whimper of pain. One of his bright eyes was swollen shut and strangly hair hung over the other, open wide in fright. "I—"

Not fast enough. Hibari's tonfa sailed down onto him once more.

"He's not lying."

The tonfa stopped inches before its victim's nose. Hibari looked displeased at the interruption.

Fiona shrug her shoulders and gulped down another mouthful of coffee before screwing the bottle shut. "Well, whatever he's going to say in a minute isn't going to be a lie," she corrected nonchalantly, inspecting her nails instead of him. "Sure, continue your interrogation but don't expect me to mop up the yellow stain he's going to make in _less than a minute_ at the rate you're going. He's broken."

"He would not be the first," Hibari answered before knocking the boy unconscious. He crumpled to his feet and was quickly dragged off to the side by two prefects. That was about as merciful as he could get, Fiona mused as she watched them fling the boneless body into a corner. He landed hard, nearby flocked student avoiding contact. She counted at least two dozen waiting for their interrogation and clicked her tongue.

"I take it you haven't found out much yet," she said to no one in particular. Her hands found the bottle again, unscrewing. She needed a clear head for this. Too many black clouds in one place; not enough patience to deal with them as per usual. She still hadn't gotten around to visit Shamal for some aspirin or twenty and she'd promised Reborn a dead-line. Stress was piling.

Since Hibari wasn't much of a talker when he wasn't in his best of moods, Kusakabe took it up to answer to her unspoken question. "We're in the process of going through possible suspects reported in by witnesses today." He kicked one of the boxes next to him. They were filled to the brim with folders. Ah, she remembered those fondly. "And matching them up with their record."

_I bet the second bit is only served as a sidedish,_ she hummed to herself. No way Hibari would bother with it himself, that was more like her kind of expertise. She let out a sigh when the coffeine raced down her throat. "Mh, the stuff of legends." Depending on how you looked at things, each and every student in Namimori was a possible suspect of some sort, simply because they'd walked down the wrong hallway at the wrong time and were acquainted to Hibari's weapon of choice. Of course this was kept as a negative remainder in their records.

"It's none of them," she said after drinking and waved at the frightened students.

Hibari's voice was as cool and hard as his eyes. "And why is that?"

"Because," Fiona pulled out a piece of paper, "I have visited the locations of each of the first fifteen reported thefts." She handed him the paper. "All the while things kept disappearing. From in front of my very eyes _and_ your watchful prefects patrolling the halls."

He scanned the list of items she'd had the principal write down for her after her visit to the teachers' lounge. Bit of a revenge for the morning, really. It's always a joy to see people working together for the greated good, only fueled by her personal spiked whip. I mean speargun. "Since these guys were in custody during this time, they're innocent." Two dozen heads looked up in hope. "Or in cahoots together." Hope turned to a jaw-slacked expression of shock.

Kusakabe came over to compare her list to his own, tucked away in his clipboard. "You're saying we're looking for a group of thieves?"

Fiona shook her head. "Not quite."

He frowned. "What do you mean?"

She pointed at the numbers next to Hibari's hand. "I wrote down the rough times of the thefts occuring." She ran her finger down the row. Tsuna's homeroom teacher had a real nice penmanship. Focus. "Things are disappearing too fast. I was in one class, investigating, when in the next one something had already been stolen again without the students noticing. There's incidents all over the school." She pulled out another paper and folded it open, revealing a map of the school. Red strings threaded all the buildings together, matching the times.

Kusakabe frowned. "I don't see a system."

"There isn't. It's completely random if you look at it from this angle." She pointed to Tsuna's classroom, where Hana's mp3-player disappeared. "Here, a theft occured roughly between the ten minutes of my arrival in class, that's why I started with it. Matching it up with the reports of your patrols..." She pointed to a classroom further down the building. "We end up down here."

"If it's really a group, they could be coordinating the thefts..." Kusakabe started but was silenced by Fiona's hand.

"I thought so, too, but then I remembered what happened this morning." She found Hibari's eyes this time around. "The two guys fighting in the courtyard? The pen was stolen but it was also_ found _immediately afterward." A room that was locked and unlocked at once.

Her thief _did_ leave a trail.

Hibari watched her intently but Kusakabe spoke in his stead again. "Are you saying...?"

Fiona nodded, pulling out a random string of items from the pocket of her skirt. Another pen, a bracelet, but most importantly: Hana's mp3-player. "I'm having the guys look for the remaining items. Did you know where they found this?" She raised the mp3-player. Kusakabe shook his head. Fiona pointed to a classroom next to the gym, far away from Hana's. "Here. Someone found it sitting in the chalk tray. And do you know what was stolen in Hana's class, early in the morning?" She tapped Tsuna's classroom twice. "Chalk."

Locked and unlocked in a metaphorical sense: an item lost and found.

For a brief second she let herself be distracted by the way Hibari's eyes lit up in understanding, steel melting for the shortest of moments before allowing telltale ice to enter. Fiona blinked the distraction away. Focus. "Do you have a pen? Preferably not red."

One of the nearby prefects threw them a blue marker. She prised the lid open with her teeth before splaying the map out on the gym floor. The change of position brought with it a brief wave of nausea but she pointedly ignored it. "If you mirror the lines..." Under the watchful eyes of imprisoned students, gathered prefects and both the head and vice-prefect themselves, she added the blue onto the map in quick, precise strokes. Then she leaned back to inspect her work. "You suddenly _do_ get a system."

As if on cue a prefect hurried into the gym, saluting, and saying "We found more of the stolen items, Hibari-san, sir!"

Fiona allowed herself a smug smile when Hibari glanced her way. "What can I say? I'm a genius." She uncorked the Thermos bottle when the pounding started up again.

"We still haven't found the culprit," he answered coolly.

She raised the bottle as if to toast. "But we know what to look out for."

Kusakabe nodded, eyeing the map. "She's right. One thief is stealing the objects, while the other drops them off again. They have to meet up somewhere." He pointed at the courtyard. "It has to be between the two buildings. It looks as if they're going counterclockwise."

Fiona got up to her feet with a stagger. Goddamnit, what was with her? "At least four of them, at the rate this is going." Her fingers pressed against her temple, massaging. "That way they won't disrupt their flow by meeting up. Probably five or six, because they're constantly on the move according to this mirror-system. Someone has to play head and keep tabs on the places to steal from and place things back at."

But five or six middleschoolers wouldn't be able to coordinate such a complex theft. _Too professional._

With a single hand signal the prefects knew what to do. They saluted the head prefect and turned on their heel, heading out. Kusakabe gathered the map. Hibari's brow shot up when he looked at her. "What is wrong with you?"

The pounding inside her head stretched out to her heart, loud and deafening inside her ears. _ Too smooth. _She was missing something. _Too professional. _ "One more thing," she squeezed out, Thermos bottle crashing into the floor as her other hand shot up to her head, a pained hiss escaping her lips. Of course, why hadn't she thought of it before? "These are no mere students. It might be... that... the Maf... i... a..."

Like a faraway echo she heard someone call her name but a sudden vice-like grip clenched hard around her conscience, ripping her away in a flurry of pain.

She was lost to the world even before she met the ground, unconscious.

* * *

Although the weather didn't look the most appealing, the breeze was a welcome distraction from the oppressive thoughts swirling across school. Even if they had to sneak past more than half a dozen prefects (and Tsuna had never feared for his life as then), he felt like it was worth it.

Yamamoto stretched with a laugh, as if he wanted to embrace the world. "Ah~ This feels good!"

Tsuna smiled and nodded. "Yeah. I didn't even notice that class was so stuffy."

The baseballer patted his shoulder. "Right? I didn't either. But the air feels different somehow. Refreshing!"

Gokudera quickly slapped Yamamoto's hand away. "Don't get all friendly with the Tenth! _I'm_ his right hand man," he growled. Yamamoto raised his hands in a peace offering before settling down and opening his bento.

Tsuna followed suit, eager to eat now that his racing heart had settled and their moods improved. He picked up the bread but stopped midway, noticing that Gokudera had no food with him. He sighed, placing the bread back inside and offered him the bento to choose from. Gokudera pointed stupidly at himself. "I-I'm not worthy of the Tenth's food!" His stomach betrayed him in that very instant. He blushed red.

The smaller boy shook his head with a sigh and a knowing smile. Since the cafeteria wasn't open, Gokudera had no real choice in this. "Just don't eat it all at once."

The Italian reached for the bento. "I won't! Thank you very much!"

Just as his fingers touched the plastic, the bento disappeared.

The three boys blinked perplexed. "Eh?" Tsuna exclaimed, fingers flexing yet finding nothing but air. "Where's...?"

"Did you see anything...?" Yamamoto added.

Gokudera sprung to his feet, eyes aflame and dynamites between his hands in the blink of an eye. "I'm going to kill that thief!"

"Wha-what?! No, wait! Gokudera-kun!"

But he was already racing back down the stairs, cursing so loud the whole school could hear it. "Come and show yourself! No one steals from the Tenth and gets away with it!"

Yamamoto and Tsuna exchanged a glance before leaving everything behind to chase after him in a hurry.

* * *

Lids fluttering open, green eyes found themselves staring up at a white ceiling. Fiona frowned, blinking away the blur before getting up on her elbows with a groan.

"My dear Fiona, I never knew you yearned so desperatly after my company." Strong, manly fingers traced her chin, gently tilting her head up. "To have yourself delivered to the infirmary like that, helpless, defenseless—"

Her first instinct was to punch.

Shamal held his bleeding nose. "Good to see your muscles are still working. I won't have to check up on your reflexes anytime soon."

A tinitus followed his words, high-pitched and deafening her left ear. "Shamal? What happened?" she asked the doctor. How did she end up in the infirmary?

The Trident pulled out a handkerchief from his lab coat, holding it to his nose as he spoke. It quickly turned red. "You don't remember? Apparently you fell unconscious. That burly prefect carried you in."

"Kusakabe," she muttered as memory caught up with her. The gym, the thefts, the pattern. The constant headache. Gingerly she touched the side of her head. Which was gone for good now. The clarity it left behind felt like bursting through the surface of water after a long dive. "I had a horrible headache," she said more to herself than to the doctor.

Shamal rose a brow. "Are you sure it's not circulatory failure? When was the last time you ate?"

"I had a toast," she brushed him off, swinging her legs out of bed. A headache. A severe headache at that, that had you grasping for nothing but air, missing the important bits. So many thoughts came rushing in with the closed dam finally open. Fiona felt her heart pick up in speed. It couldn't be... or could it? "Shamal. What's the last thing you heard about The Raven?" she asked out of the blue.

"The Raven?" He furrowed his brows, lowering the handkerchief slowly. "That he died during the Talvonziani mission," he answered bluntly.

_Rain and the pitter-patter of blood and mud, the bird's beak nibbling and nuzzling his ear, his hair, his neck._

"Fiona..." Shamal started, taking up a rare serious tone. Fiona blinked the image away.

"It's professionals. From the Mafia. They were invited or they came on their own." The words spluttered out of her like a waterfall, thoughts rearranging to piece the events together. It was so crystal clear now. "What are they targeting?" She paused, corrected herself. "_Who_ are they targeting?" The room disappeared as she focused.

Classrooms. Windows. Chalk. Mp3. Hallways. Office. Gym. Infirmary. Shamal. Fiona. Mafia. Reborn.

Fiona jumped out of bed and headed for the door. "Tsuna."

* * *

A combination of luck, instincts, coincidence and loud yelling had Fiona and Gokudera crashing into each not even two corridors down the infirmary.

"Oi! Watch where you're going, fish woman!" he scowled in her face. "I'm in a hurry!"

Fiona staggered but stood her ground. "Shut up, you think I'm not? I'm just about to find the culprit to this whole mess!"

Hurried footsteps heralded the entrance of the remaining two boys before they even skidded around the corner. "Gokudera-kun, wait up!" Tsuna huffed between breaths before stopping to a halt, surprised. "Fiona-san is here, too?"

The female Italian suddenly gripped him by his arm, eyes drilling into his. "You are going to get targeted soon. I need to be there—"

Gokudera scoffed. "Too late. The thief already got to Juudaime."

Fiona spun around. "What? Where is he?"

"I was just chasing him, you useless woman! What a great informant you are." He ruffled his hair. "But there's no way I'm going to catch up now, thanks to you."

"It's not like you knew where you were running to, anyway," Tsuna muttered under his breath. Fiona was just about to retort when the loud thud of a door slamming shut disrupted the silence. The four of them stood rooted on the spot.

Yamamoto's eyes slanted slightly, letting reflexes replace the usual carefree manner. "Did you hear that?"

_Click clack._

"They locked themselves in!" Gokudera exclaimed just as he dashed down the corridor. Fiona was right on his heels, bolting down the hall to catch up to the bomber. "We can get them now!"

"W-Wait up!" Tsuna yelled, the last to follow with his short legs.

"Which door?" Yamamoto shouted after the two Mafiosi.

They skidded to a halt, back to back. "The one that can't be kicked open," Fiona answered. Then she and Gokudera proceeded to do just that and raised their legs in opposite directions—the two doors slammed open under the force of their kicks. Yamamoto ran into the one closest to him, shoulder first, and it gave way, swallowing him whole. "Four more to go!" Fiona shouted over the noise, heaving her leg against the next one.

The wood didn't budge and her leg screamed in pain. Jackpot. "Over here," she said, fumbling for the master key to the storage rooms. Gokudera was next to her in the blink of an eye, cigarette to his mouth and dynamite at the ready.

"I'll get back at that bastard for insulting the Tenth!" he scowled as Yamamoto came to a halt behind them.

She turned the key and gave him a stern look. "Leave him alive." Tsuna stopped by her elbow to catch his breath. She swung the door open and Gokudera charged.

He stumbled. Something clicked, surred, rolled, Gokudera screamed, Fiona dodged, someone yelled "Banana!" and Tsuna went sailing across the room.

When they came to they were inside a cramped space, one big pile of bodies. They had just about gathered their wits when the worst possible thing occured.

The door shut close, darkness fell over them, and the key turned inside the hole.

Somebody just locked them in.

* * *

**DUN DUN DUUUUUUN!  
**


	16. How to Vent a Mystery

**I don't own ********_Katekyō Hitman Reborn!_****.**

**Guest Reviews:**

_Sebby Chan_: **Hahaha! I think you're going to like this chapter then. The spookiness will be completely overthrown by new revelations!**

* * *

** Target XV: How to Vent a Mystery**

* * *

From the outside Namimori Jr. High looked still and ordinary, not a living soul out on the yard causing mayhem and with its students diligently sitting in class, learning. To every onlooker a serene scenery.

Inside the Reception Room ambience begged to differ. Hibari put up his legs, watching his men scuttle about the room, a grinding nuisance he was on the brink of obliterating. His patience ran thinner with each passing hour he had to pursue an invisible thief attempting to outrun his punishment.

A box lingered on the couch table in the middle of the room containing all the missing items that had been rediscovered so far. Kusakabe stood on the far side of the room staring a hole into the red-and-blue map of school. And one by one the Disciplinary Committee prefects reported the same thing, over and over again...

The door shut close just briefly before another prefect entered the room, saluted sharply, clicking his heels. "Sir! There has been no new movement as of the last thirty minutes."

Impossibly, the reports all concluded that the thefts were _over_.

Kusakabe looked up from the map when the prefect headed out again. "Is it really that easy?"

Hibari clicked his tongue impatiently, crossing his fingers over the desk. No, it wasn't. Things were over when _he_ said so. The culprit would not escape his clutch unpunished.

"Ciaossu," a squeaky voice ripped through the silence. Hibari turned his head only to find someone standing on the corner of his desk. "Hibari Kyoya," the baby greeted with a nod of its head.

"Baby." In the blink of an eye his tonfa was out, lashing at the tiny man in his suit but the baby somersaulted backwards out of reach, landing neatly on the couch.

"I'm not here to fight with you. We have other things at stake," he spoke. Hibari slanted his eyes. Reborn looked over his shoulder once before locking eyes with the head prefect. "The reports of your men are false. There was one last theft not too long ago."

Hibari's eyes widened slightly in anticipation. Now the baby held his attention. So long as the thief was punished first he would consent to delaying their battle. The baby pulled his fedora hat lower, just enough to cover its eyes. "Four students have gone missing."

Kusakabe inhaled sharply. "What?! They've turned to kidnapping now?" Hibari silenced the vice-prefect with a look before turning his attention back to the baby.

"And who might these students be?" he asked.

Reborn counted down on his fingers. "Yamamoto Takeshi, Sawada Tsunayoshi, Gokudera Hayato and Benivieni Fiona."

* * *

**Meanwhile**

* * *

Inside the confines of a dark, enclosed room...

"I'm going to kill you."

"Hands off the sushi-master. _Now_."

"Wha—?! Let go of me, woman, or you'll go first!"

"HIEE! Don't take out your dynamite here! You're going to kill us all!"

"Hahaha, let's all just sit and calm down first, shall we?"

"No way! She started this!"

"You're the one with anger issues here—hey, where do you think you're groping?"

"What the—_ow!_"

A tumble, slap, curse, cut, whine, snort, scream and laugh later, someone finally managed to turn on the lights. Which made the situation no less awkward and tense than it had already been. The storeroom was crammed and small to begin with; shelves full of miscellanous things and—much to Tsuna's dismay and worry—they had barely room to maneuver without brushing one another at every turn. Hence the situation.

Fiona had her arms crossed, pointedly looking away from the bomber, tousled hair sticking out from her manhandled braid. Gokudera mimicked her pose, muttering curses under his breath as he cupped his cheek, a glaring red handprint blossoming beneath. Yamamoto sat between them, smiling at his successful intervention, neatly cut dynamite sticks strewn across his laps and a pair of sunglasses dangling from his hair. Tsuna settled opposite the trio, glancing warily at the solitary light bulb dangling above their heads. Maybe it hadn't been such a good idea to turn on the lights after all.

Well, they were where they were at now. No point in avoiding it. "So... uhm," Tsuna started hesitantly. Someone had to break the ice. "What exactly just happened?"

Yamamoto laughed, rubbing the back of his head before gingerly placing the amiss sunglasses between the dynamite in his laps. "I didn't see anyone but it looks like we were tricked."

Gokudera instantly followed up with another accusation. "Good informant you are, walking us right into a trap." He did not turn around to face her, talking to the wall instead.

Fiona loosened her hair and started to reassemble her braid, fingers twisting the brands of long caramel hair into form. "You rushed into the room and got a bucket to the face. How am I at fault?"

Gokudera scoffed. "You let me take the hit on purpose!"

"Professionals call it _dodging_."

Seeing it his time to intervene again Yamamoto placed a hand on both the Italians' shoulders. They tensed notably under his touch and Tsuna couldn't help but gulp. Yamamoto's bat was slung over his shoulder and his eyes had that piercing look to them...

_Definitely the scariest out of the three._

Yamamoto pointed over to the door, piercing eyes hopping back to a merryful look when the flared tempers had cooled. "We can just break the door to get out, right?"

"Better than rotting here," Gokudera confirmed and got up, dusting his pants before shrugging the baseballer's hand off. Tsuna couldn't help the sharp intake and Gokudera noticed, turning to look at the gathered group. At their flabbergasted looks, he rose a brow.

"What?"

Yamamoto gave him a nervous chuckle. Tsuna tried not to stare. Fiona clicked her tongue and picked the dented bucket from the floor. "You totally engraved your face in this one." She turned the metal around, showcasing the very Gokudera-shaped mould on the bucket. "Likewise, the bucket did a good job on you."

Between the blotches of red caused by both the bucket and Fiona's slap his face turned crimson in anger. Tsuna also noticed a paper-thin cut on his cheek. He didn't have it easy. "Shut up."

"Can I sell it to Bianchi?"

"No!" He drew a hand through his hair. "Are we doing this or not?"

Yamamoto quickly scrambled to his side, fighting down another smile. "On the count of three. One." The two boys targeted the door, bodies aligned as best as the tiny space allowed it.

"Guys..." Fiona started, waving the bucket to get their attention.

"Two."

"You really shouldn't..."

They nodded at each other. "Three!"

Tsuna's heart skipped a beat when they rammed their shoulders into the wood, arms jumping up to cover his face against the barrage of wood splinters. When nothing rained down on him, he looked up, watching in shock as the boys reeled back with enough force to crash into the opposite wall, groaning in pain.

Fiona sighed, a random rag in her hand to polish the bucket. "I tried to warn you." Satisfied at the confused and pained moans in response she nodded in the direction of the door. "That door is made of metal. There's only a wood paneling over it to make it _look_ natural."

Tsuna sputtered. _What? _"Why is there a metal door at school?!" He doubled over when she started to hum to herself as she continued cleaning her newest possession. This tyranny...! "And how do you always know of these things!?"

"Lambo bombed this hallway up twice so I asked for special manufacture during last time's repairs. Both the principal and City Council granted me the permission with pleasure." And a continuous _hum-de-hum-dum_ from her lips as if it is the most normal explanation in the world.

But Tsuna's jaw slackened. The City Council? What did the Namimori mayor have to do with this and how and when did she manage to get involved with the city's politics as well? How far did she intend to exercise control?!

Amidst the silenced aftershock Gokudera stumbled back to his feet, closed the small space between him and the informant in one large stride and kicked the bucket from her fingers. "Why would you do something as stupid, woman!"

Her empty fingers twitched, mouth muttering something about 'was gonna sell it to the fangirls instead'. She quickly gathered her composure, though, and turned around to face him. "It's my head on the plate if something goes wrong at school. Student Council, remember?"

_Ah,_ Tsuna thought, _that's true_. She's the one dealing with Hibari and his dangerous Committee on a regular basis. Of course she would have to make sure they didn't get into too much trouble because they were _really_ causing a lot, courtesy to Reborn and his dangerous schemes. If she weren't here Hibari might just have shredded them to pieces ten times over.

As if sensing his thought Fiona turned to smile at him. Tsuna couldn't help but smile back. She's really sincere and forthcoming when you looked past—

"Not that I wouldn't take you down with me. I'm not martyr enough to go down alone." She picked up the bucket again, blowing dust off before placing it under the cleansing force of her rag again. "If I say there's Gokudera-DNA from your shoes on this bucket I might get double the price out of it. It's like it's been blessed."

—Forget it. She's a scamming mafioso through and through, end to the story.

A few minutes of silence befell them, all of them squeezing back down on the floor, lost in their thoughts. Until Gokudera's face lit up with an idea. "I'm going to bomb us a way out!"

"HIEE?!" Tsuna instantly grabbed the bomber's feet before he could jump up and make things reality. "No! We're too close to the impact!"

Gokudera smiled triumphantly, plucking out a tiny bomb no more than the length of his forefinger and just as thin. Tsuna let go of his legs and leaned closer to inspect it. "It's small but it carries the same strength as my normal dynamite." Gokudera crawled to the tiny gap between floor and door, measuring the space between. "If I squeeze it through, it will explode on the other side of the door and—"

Fiona cut the mini-dynamite in two.

Gokudera took her by the shoulders and shook her like a ragdoll. "What the hell did you do that for, you stupid woman?!" _And where do you get these items from?!_ Tsuna completed._ It's too convenient!_

Between the wild shaking her words came out in huffed, taciturn answers. "This—Is—The—Chemistry—Storage—Room—You—Smokescreen—Idiot!"

_Eh?_ Tsuna turned around to observe his surroundings more closely—only to come face to face with a red warning sign reading '_highly flammable_'. "HIEEE!" he instinctively screamed and scrambled to the other side of the room, as far away as possible. Out of all the storage rooms they could have ended up in...!

"Why are there metal doors in the chemistry hall? Can't you do anything right?!" While he'd stopped shaking the living lights out of her, Gokudera still had a firm grip on the collar of her uniform.

Fiona rubbed her neck and furrowed her brows as she spoke. "Didn't you listen? You guys bombed the _chemistry corridor _twice. Potentially endangering not only the school but the whole city. Just imagine the toxicological dangers—why do you think the City Council agreed to the new doors? And reinforced walls I might add. I was there when they built them in."

Yamamoto perked up. "So the room's soundproof, too?"

Fiona shrug her shoulders. "I guess so." Another short round of silence befell them. "You know, we might also run out of oxygen soon, now that I think of it." She pointed to the door. "That tiny gap wasn't developed to sustain four people at once. It'll be like climbing the Himalaya in a couple minutes."

Like every sane person would, Tsuna reacted with panic. "How can you say that with such a calm voice? I don't wanna die!" He could—and would not—keep his cool like them. They were crazy! All of them! He could already see his life passing him by...!

Fiona shrug her shoulder a second time. "At least we got light."

As if on cue the light went out.

Yamamoto laughed, clapping Tsuna's trembling shoulders. "Speak of the devil!"

Gokudera groaned and he could hear him drawing his hand over his face, muffling his words. "Great," he muttered between his fingers.

Fiona was as peachy as ever. "Everyone watch your step, my cash cow is lying around here somewhere."

"You are _not_ selling my DNA!"

"It's not like middleschoolers have a masters in biology. I know what I'm doing!"

"Yeah, I noticed _that_."

Watching the two slowly starting up a new round of bickering, Tsuna's panic didn't even know whether to reach a new peak or just subside and fizzle into non-existence. He suddenly felt very exhausted. Just being on the frontlines with these guys claimed everything from him. Maybe it was for the best: wasting energy (and oxygen!) to panic wouldn't get him very far, would it?

Tsuna sighed and blinked the fighting duo out to the best of his ability. Yamamoto nudged him in the arm and despite the dark he could feel the warmth of his smile radiating into the room. "Don't worry, Tsuna! I just remembered myself," he started, "but Fiona-chan has the keys, right? She can just open the door from the inside."

Oh.

It's that simple?

Tsuna slapped his hand to his forehead. Of course it is! Why didn't they think of it before? "R-Right! Fiona-san opened the door in the first place." He listened in on the bickering but was thrown back when he was met with a deafening, exruciating silence. Uh-oh. Silence is never good. "...Fiona-san?" She would've told them about the keys from the beginning, wouldn't she? There had to be a reason why she hadn't... Don't tell me...

Fiona cleared her throat, trying to keep her composure despite the dark. "The keys may or may not have been left inside the lock."

Gokudera was by her neck in an instant. "You mean we got locked in because you left the keys outside?!"

"We got locked in because you walked over a tripwire and got a bucket to the face!"

_Okay_, panic said, _screw it all._ Tsuna started whining like a siren, alarms ringing in emergency. "We're going to dieeeee!" They'd never get out of this hellhole alive at this rate. Either they'd starve or suffocate or be killed by a last effort of dynamites setting the whole room aflame.

The images didn't help the situation _at all_.

Yamamoto tried his best to soothe his friends, his unvawering calm a tower of strength in this situation. Or a heap of too much optimism. Still, the baseballer laughed again despite the bickering and the panic and Tsuna couldn't help but stop in his mad circles to ask, "How can you be so calm?"

Again he felt the smile more than he saw it. Then a hand guided his to point up to the ceiling. Tsuna frowned. What was he trying to do? "Don't you notice something?" Yamamoto asked.

Tsuna tried his best to concentrate on whatever he was supposed to notice. The crowdedness of the room, the dark filled with dangerous objects, the faint breeze tickling his fingers.

Wait a minute.

"The ventilation shaft is right above us." Yamamoto let go of his hand and nudged his shoulder instead. "At least we won't suffocate. All we have to do is wait for the teachers to find us now, right? Easy!" He laughed.

This round of silence hit the inhabitants of the room square across the face like the bucket they were watching out for. Yamamoto's laugh died out as even he realized the extent of his words. Gokudera and Fiona stopped their struggle, arms clasped as they froze mid-wrestle.

Fiona exchanged an invisible glance with her fellow mafioso. "Leg-up, now."

* * *

The doctor drove a hand through his hair, giving them an appraising look. "Sorry, I don't treat guys."

Hibari's annoyance level went sky-rocketing. His tonfa met the doctor's face. "I don't need your treatment." Eyes hardening he added, "But you might very soon."

Shamal's face stayed unfazed but his eyes betrayed a careful intent, seizing him up like an enemy this time around. Kusakabe stepped between the two men, arms raised. "We only want to check up on Fiona. She's here, isn't she?" His gelled hair almost brushed Shamal's forehead and the man leaned back, watching the black mass bobbing close to his face.

"No suffix? You have the hots on her, boy?"

Kusakabe sputtered, taking a startled step back. "What?"

Shamal's hand disappeared into the large pockets of his ever-present lab coat. "I understand. She can be a real minx, that woman. Let me give you some advice, though." A hand wound out to find itself be placed on the shell-shocked leather jacket. "You're a few years too young to tame that kind of beast. Don't get all weak around her rude manners—"

The tonfa struck him hard across his cheek. He went sailing into the wall with a yelp.

Kusakabe cleared his throat as he stared at the downed doctor of their school. Nobody is safe from ignoring the head prefect so blatantly. "Please answer my question."

"You would better," Reborn chimed in from Hibari's shoulder.

"Just because you carried her here you lads think you own the place," Shamal muttered under his breath, cheek swelling up. He pouted. "I don't gain anything from helping you but _fine._ She left the infirmary half an hour ago."

"On her own?" Kusakabe inquired with a raised brow.

"How else?" Shamal blanked. He nodded in Reborn's direction. "Got her clues about the culprit together and rushed out."

Hibari slanted his eyes at the man. "Clues?" What did the woman find out now?

He shrug his shoulders, looking much too comfortable in his wounded state. Probably experienced worse. Hibari was tempted to remedy that. "Asked me about The Raven," the doctor said eventually.

Reborn's eyes widened ever so slightly.

* * *

"To the left—" Fiona's hand caught on empty air, "—not that far!" She resisted the urge to climb his head like a staircase and just be over with this. "Go back to—" She almost toppled over him from his sudden movement, arms flailing to keep her balance on his shoulders. "Stop swaying like you're drunk!"

"You're too fat, woman! I can't see a thing!" Gokudera groaned. She hit him with the bucket across his face. The more expression she had embedded on the metal the better. "And leave that damn thing here!"

Fiona stretched upward again, fingers reaching for the invisible arm of Yamamoto somewhere above her in the dark. "No way. Momma's gotta earn herself a shopping tour one way or the other." Her fingers brushed something warm and a gasp of relief escaped her when Yamamoto's hand dove after hers.

"Gotcha!" he laughed and tightened his hold on her wrist. "Heave..."

"Ho!" she finished and felt Gokudera's hold loosen when Yamamoto pulled her up in one go. She instantly hit her head on the low-hanging vents in the instinctive urge to stand up.

Yamamoto laughed again, hand driving over her hair in just enough a smooth motion that he didn't ruffle a single strand. Good boy. There's a reason he's her favorite. "Watch out."

Fiona held her pounding head, bucket clanking loudly as it hit the wall opposite her. The vents were a real tight fit. She had to snuggle close to the Japanese to peer down into the dark. Well, gray by now, with their eyes somewhat used to the darkness.

"What are we going to do now?" Tsuna asked carefully. He's about the only force in this group of people trying not to upset the shifting scales that was their sanity.

Emphasis on _the only force. _She simply couldn't pass up on a chance like this. From where she could pinpoint his voice and the shady silhouette of his body, she pointed in the general direction. "You come up and we leave the chainsmoker rotting here."

"You cruel, sick wench—"

Tsuna's hands were quick to subdue the remaining insults. His shaky laugh hobbled through the small room, causing Fiona to smile. Such a cutie! Why, him and Mouse would be the ultimate cuteness overload. Add Hibird and they could be having world tours.

Shooting Yamamoto a mischievous smile, she squeezed in next to him to the best of her abilities. She'd been in worse spots with far worse smelling men. It's a nice change of pace. Ah, focus. Less jokes, more seriosity. "Bianchi would kill me if I left you behind. Therefore..." She threw the bucket over her shoulder, away from the possible danger of getting squished. "We'll just have to pull you both up," she finished with a shrug.

"Eh?"

A couple minutes later Tsuna was screaming in agony as he was pulled apart from two directions; Yamamoto and Fiona pressing their heels into the vents and pulling inch by inch of his small body up; while Gokudera's added weight on his heels, the bomber dangling in open space, threatened to rip his legs off. Somehow, under a lot of straining and cursing and heaving, they managed the impossible, sitting and resting in a now even more confined space than before.

Tsuna was still lying on his stomach when Gokudera, stopping with his fussing and being 'proud of the Tenth's strength', asked aloud: "Where do we go now?"

Yamamoto, with his long legs pulled up to his chest, shrug his shoulders. "There should be another exit like this one somewhere, right?"

Fiona, playing with her Gokudera-faced bucket, hummed in contemplation. "Probably."

They seemed to pick up on her tone, the seconds of silence quickly breached by another question. "Are you planning something again, Fiona-chan?" Yamamoto asked with a chuckle.

She offered him a lopsided smirk and pulled something out of her pocket. "Well..."

* * *

Sasagawa Kyoko did not look so much as frightened out of her hide like the rest of her class speaking to none other than the head and vice-prefect of the Disciplinary Committee than she looked genuinely worried.

"They must've gone up to the roof. The boys usually like to eat lunch up there," she said. Biting her lip added to the overall sensation of worry with the simplistic gesture. "They're not in trouble, are they?"

"Of course not," Kusakabe answered instantly before excusing himself and leaving the girl to her studies. Hibari watched his second-in-command turn the makeshift map of the school up and down, frowning at the markings, biting his telltale culm in thought as they went up to the rooftops.

"It's like they vanished into thin air," he eventually ground out. "If we don't find them on the roof, where else are we going to look?"

The baby had disappeared from his shoulder some time ago but the exchanged words with the doctor still rung in Hibari's head. _The Raven._ "Our priority is to look for the whereabouts of our thieves."

Kusakabe's brows rose in surprise. "What about the missing students?"

They closed in on the final stairway up, only one more door seperating them from the roofs. "Wherever our culprit is, the students will be." _Or_, he thought to himself, _more likely the other way around. _Wherever she was, the culprit would be. She knew something. He'd make sure to have her properly regulated after things were concluded for not telling him.

The school's rooftop was as they expected: empty but for the wind tugging at the sleeves of their jackets.

Despite the initial disappointment they decided to sweep the perimeters, a quick scout to make sure. Rounding the back of the staircase Hibird jumped off his shoulder, little wings carrying the yellow bird towards something lying forgotten on the ground. The two prefects stepped closer for inspection, frowning when the object turned out to be a leftover bento lying upside down.

Kusakabe frowned, then pointed at the bento box. "Looks like they were in a hurry." Rice dotted the tiles, a squashed onigiri peeking from beneath the bento's lid.

As Kusakabe looked about the nearby surroundings again, Hibari glanced over to where the bento lay. He would never tell a living soul, but for the briefest of moments he saw _her_ standing there, observant green eyes cool and calculating, radiating a sense of calm completely disparate to her usual pettiness.

When he blinked, the image vanished, and all he was met with was Hibird picking away at the rice.

_What is that bird doing?_ He would not have bothered with the animal if it didn't have its uses. For a tiny bird it was surprisingly clever, therefore the chance of it giving in to its urges to feed were slim. Something else must be off with the scene.

Either guessing his line of thoughts or done with whatever it had been doing, the bird flew back to its owner, placing something small and soft in the palm of his hand. Hibari caught it between his forefinger and thumb, taking a closer look. Bread crumbs?

He turned the bento up, searching the messed up insides for the source. But he could not find any bread.

_There was another bento,_ her voice echoed through his mind. _It's stolen and has yet to be found. Mirror the locations. _"Give me the map and marker," he said, tuning her voice out.

Kusakabe followed suit and knelt down next to him, stretching the map out between them. Hibird bounced up and down excitedly. The woman watched the bird's antics with a grin. He glared until she disappeared with a shrug of her shoulders. "What did you find, Hibari-san?"

"Another theft." With swift strokes he marked down their location on the rooftops. Then his hand hovered over the map, remembering the path of the mirrored system. On the opposite side of the rooftop was...

Kusakabe's eyes widened in recgonition. "That's..."

* * *

Just like the rooftops, the canteen was empty upon their entrance; not a living soul about once the Disciplinary Committee had ordered a quarantine and nobody was allowed out of their respective classrooms.

Every student at school had obeyed. All but the usual troublemakers, Hibari observed with annoyance.

With a nod of his head his men swarmed out, half a dozen prefects turning tables over, checking the counter, backrooms, toilets, any place possible as a hideout. The thefts had stopped with the kidnapping. Hibari spun a tonfa between his hand. Gut feeling told him this place would be where it all ended. He would not let the woman have another word in his actions, not even in his imagination. She had, after all, broken the rules of his patrols.

Either the thieves get punished properly for their misactions against him or the troublemakers would for theirs _and_ the thieves'. To him it was as simple as that. His blood was boiling. He would not let himself be played by the nose for much longer, not this close to his target.

Between the search party and their ruckus Kusakabe stepped up to him, eyes darting left and right, up and down. His nostrils flared ever so slightly, inhaling, before coughing out whatever he had just breathed. "It stinks here."

Hibari had noticed. It wasn't a recognizable smell but the air was thicker in the canteen than elsewhere in school, dense and uncomfortable to breathe. Like viscous honey and salty sea water at once it sleazed through one's nostrils and down the throat, making it ache and itch.

Before he could form an answer something caught his attention. A tiny sound. He slanted his eyes, watching the perimeter. It had sounded suspiciously like a gasp. A very human gasp.

Reaching for his tonfas he tuned the remaining sounds out, ignoring Kusakabe's questioning look. A scratching and a flutter of papers? His feet led him into the middle of the canteen where his men had already wreaked havoc, and he stepped over the upturned tables, trying to locate the whereabouts of the sounds. They were moving, scuttling to their feet. Atop one table he stopped, looking up.

"Come out," he commanded, watching the ceiling. The sound ceased, stilled to a halt, frightened, caught. Hibari gripped the end of his tonfa tighter, excitement rushing through his body, brushing off and making the ache in his throat seem like a pleasant scratching in comparison. This would be good.

If that woman did not ruin everything.

Like an explosion of sounds, suddenly there were voices and noise everywhere: curses and threats, a startled shriek along with a warning shout; the vents, he realized, were alive with people, all of them moving, crawling, running, tumbling before—

_BOOM!_

—an _actual_ explosion rocked the building.

Like children caught in a prank the four kidnapped students rained from the ceiling, debris following them as their bodies hit both floor and tables alike before pieces of the ceiling caught them straight in their guts. Hibari did not so much as cock his head to the other side as his blood rushed past his ears, mood dropping several levels once the smoke cleared and he was presented with a mess he would make sure _nobody_ came out of alive.

Gokudera Hayato, the main suspect behind the explosion tearing off parts of his school, groaned and coughed in pain, the very epitome of trying too hard to make things right, the way his hair stuck to all sides and his clothes were tattered and dirty with all sorts of unthinkable stains and dirt.

Yamamoto Takeshi ruffled his hair, trying to get out most of the dust before sheating a bladed weapon he should not even have allowance to carry on school grounds. The tables that had caught his fall were cleanly cut in two, not even a stray splinter managing to graze his skin.

Meanwhile Sawada Tsunayoshi was buried in a heap of wood, concrete and wood splinters—all a result of his friends' reckless actions. When they finally noticed his struggle they jumped to his rescue, pushing aside cleanly split tables and bits of explosion-torn concrete. Also a piece of the silver-head's shredded t-shirt.

By the time he spotted the biggest nuisance he was ready to kill her on the spot, culprit or not currently in an arm lock beneath her, struggling to escape. She pressed her knees forcefully into the downed person's ribs, gathering a sharp gasp before they went still and unmoving.

Benivieni Fiona's shaded eyes found his with expertise ease, again carrying sunglasses forbidden to be carried, sporting a surgical mask over her mouth as well. "I present to you," she ripped down the red hood of the person caught between her and the floor tiles, "the thief!"

Ivory skin constrasted crassly with vibrant gold eyes and shaggy, short-cropped black hair. The person was thin, features gaunt that they looked shrunken and stuck to the skull. When he spoke, soft and dark, the thief irritatingly reminded him of a pineapple-shaped-hair guy, and it was only the heavy accent that made it bearable enough to listen to him without hurting him on the spot for evoking such a memory. "How'd ya know I's in the canteen?"

There was but a twitch of her visible nose as Fiona eyed the person. "I know that you need to feed your little fellows. They get hungry doing your dirty business." She let go of the thief—Hibari steadied himself should he attempt to escape—but he simply gathered himself up, dusting his clothes briefly and with tiniest care in the world that he was surrounded by roughly ten people out to get him.

Fiona looked him over, eyeing the oversized and baggy hoodie that reached his knees with a nod. He was smaller than her by half a head. "Vrana," she said.

"Busted," the thief answered before burying his hands in the pockets of his red hoodie. "'least I had fun."

Gokudera Hayato had a thoughtful frown etched to his forehead. Hibari rose a brow in the woman's direction. "One of your acquaintances?"

"I—that is no reason to look at me like that. I plead innocent."

The thief raised his hand. "I plead insanity."

Fiona smacked the raised hand away. "You don't get to plead. Shoo!"

He blinked in confusion before an angry grin made its way across the gaunt features. "Let's pluck 'em pretty eyes out, eh?"

Gokudera stepped up to the bickering pair, dynamites ready at hand. Hibari clenched his tonfas tighter. Should he attempt anything foolish, it would be the death of him. The transfer student chose to bark like a tamed dog: "I don't care who you are," he pointed accusingly to the thief, "but whoever dares to steal from the Juudai—what the—?! Stop it! Hey, you stupid bird! Get out of my—_ouch!_"

With miniscule amusement Hibari and the prefects watched as the silver-head fought with naught but air; swaying his arms left and right like an idiot before resulting to running in circles.

Still, Hibari caught himself quickly. "What is the meaning of this?" He was nowhere near over with his need to punish somebody and he made sure to show it.

Yamamoto Takeshi started to speak, tugging at a similar surgical mask dangling by his neck that the prefect hadn't noticed earlier. "Fiona-chan said to wear these. That way we'd be less affected by the bird's illusions."

Illusions?

"Che." Vrana clicked his tongue. "Damn Shamal keeps his infirmary under tight wraps."

"He's not an idiot. And I made sure to have him install proper precautionary measures for any kind of situation." Fiona turned to speak to her audience, surgical mask moving with her lips and sunglasses glinting ever so slightly in the light. "Our group of thieves. Please present them to us."

Kusakabe frowned. "What do you mean?" He gestured to the red hoodie. "There's nobody here but this person."

Vrana sighed, stretching out his arm. "Brokenbeak. Drop the illusion."

When reality hit the room again, the inhabitans would have wished otherwise. The canteen was a mess of not only crumpled furniture and a hole in the ceiling but with food sprayed everywhere; soup plastering the walls as well as eggshells, with tomato sauce dripping to the ground and meatballs sticking to any place possible; the worst were the tiny piles of bird poo sticking out amidst pieces of bread and vegetables carelessly flung about the whole length of the room. It stunk horridly.

A loud _kraa _seeking for attention had them turn their heads around. A large raven nestled on the outstretched arm of the thief and a group of four smaller black crows circled the broken ceiling, watching and crying insults at them. The raven puffed out its chest, looking each person down its sharp beak with intelligent eyes before settling on someone in the middle of the two groups, the kidnapped ones and the prefects.

Helicopter-Reborn hovered over the dirty flooring, green rotors holding him at a steady height. "Ciaossu."

"Reborn!" Tsuna exclaimed loudly. "Where have you been all this time?!"

The baby ignored him. "It's as effective as I have been told. Good work."

Fiona's brow twitched. "I knew you had a finger in this."

"Naturally."

"Reborn-san? Why would you sent a thief after us?" Gokudera asked instantly in turn, demanding a proper explanation. Hibari was inclined to know what the baby had to do with this as well.

The helicopter soared over to the silver-head until the baby was eye-to-eye with him. "You have to be prepared for any kind of situation. Not just violent, obvious ones." He made a 180°-turn, tiny legs dangling like a puppet's behind him. "You all remember Birds?"

"That bastard tried to kill the Tenth! Of course I remember him!"

Tsuna blanched. "I try not to think about it."

Hibird circled Hibari's head before nestling further into the crook of his jacket as if the name alone repulsed it.

Reborn hovered back into the middle of the room. "Birds comes from a family of famous aviarists who were known for breeding the most special kinds of birds in the world. But not many can control these kinds of birds." He looked over to the thief. "Only the most talented ones from that family are able to turn them into useful companions and utilize their skills."

Vrana crossed his arms, making the big raven flutter away before landing on a nearby table, its large talons leaving scratch marks on the wood. "Birds' been cast out of our family long ago," he clarified with a look at Hibird.

Hibari slanted his eyes. That didn't account for any sort of explanation as to how the thefts were perfomed. Nor the state of the canteen. "What have you done to my school?"

The thief tapped his nose. "Brokenbeak and I tricked yer sense of smell. By impairing even one sensory organ we can trick yer mind into believin' somethin' else." He shrug his shoulders. "To be able to move 'round school unnoticed, however, I had to spread the illusion. My birds use their poop," he pointed at a random white pile, "to spread the smell. Together we weave a net to cast illusions. The ventilation system is helpful in spreading it throughout the whole school. That's how nobody noticed where my little crows went and what they stole."

Tsuna blanched a second time, even whiter. "Ew."

Gokudera pointed a finger. "That's how you stole the Tenth's bento right in front of our eyes!"

"Haha, that's so gross!"

"I hate you so much right now," Fiona ground through her teeth, fingers clawing at the surgical mask. "That headache..."

Vrana smiled wickedly. "Never noticed the tiny pile on yer head, did ya? Would've found out who was behind this too quickly."

The blonde dropped to her knees, horrified. "On my... hair..."

Hibari's tonfa circled his fingers dangerously, each new word succeeding in making his anger climb to new heights. Illusion was just about his most hated word out of all. Couple it with the fact that he could not stand the look of these useless herbivores any longer, then his patience was thinning out rapidly. "So you're one of that kind." The spinning stopped, battle-ready. Hibird hovered off his shoulder. "I'll gladly bite you to death."

"Wha—hey! Take 'im off me!" The thief hid behind Fiona. The birds grew agitated.

Hibari stopped only briefly, eyeing the blond hair. "Out of my way, herbivore."

Fiona pressed her fingers to her forehead before remembering the dirty secrets that had just been exposed and quickly placed them elsewhere. She chose to cross her arms instead and stood up to full height. "You don't know how much I'd like to let you do your thing but this time I can't oblige. I need her alive."

"Her?" Tsuna squeaked. Yamamoto and Gokudera exchanged a surprised glance.

"That's a...?" Kusakabe started so increduled that his culm slipped out of his mouth.

Fiona looked back and forth between the boys. "Of course she is. What else did you think?" She turned to grope the small thief over her shoulder, palms on her chest. "'bit on the flat side but last I remember, a girl."

"Very funny."

"At least I don't have a _shitty_ personality."

"Ye want a medal fer yer puns?"

"I want—"

The conversation tore at his nerves. The people tore at his nerves. It also tore at his nerves that she managed the same knowing look she had as that day on the frozen lake, despite the shades on her nose. Hibari interrupted them. "You choose her side then?"

He could almost see the reaction in her eyes, even through the shades. Or it was his imagination again. The illusions. The smell. Not that he cared. "It's not exactly _choosing_ sides rather than a sense of pragmatism. I have a few loose ends to wrap up." She pointed at the girl again. "You can totally beat her up afterward. Pinky promise."

The girl glared at her hands. "What?!"

She ignored the complaint. "We have a deal?" she asked. He cocked his head to the side, inspecting the chaos, the instigators, the culprit and the punishment waiting in store for each.

They'd found the culprit just as he'd predicted: Wherever that woman was, the culprit would be. Now all that was left to do was deal out the proper punishment.

"No."

Then he charged for both women.

Fiona ducked, the smaller woman did not, and she took the brute force of his hit. Then the former took the other's hand and bolted right through the group of boys, yelling, "I'm no martyr!" before she escaped outside through the backdoor of the canteen.

Tsuna was the first to react. "EH?!" Too slow. Hibari caught up to them, cleaving a path through anyone that stood in his way.

* * *

**A/N:**

**I hope this has not been a complete mess to read. I tried my best to make this arc as seamless and logical as possible but, of course, since it is my first time doing my own thing from start to end, it may or may not come out completely distorted. Also Hibari is one tough guy to write. Especially when it comes to squeezing out the tiniest piece of emotion towards our dear informant. **

**So long as I managed to draw out a chuckle or two, I'll call it a success!  
**

**Things are not yet over with Vrana, though! The thieving is over, the whole thing with _The Raven_ however...**

**Translations:**

_Vrana **— Crow (in Croatian)**_


	17. The Raven and The Crow

**I don't own ********_Katekyō Hitman Reborn!_****.**

**This is going to be a biggie. And the start of a slow romance.  
**

* * *

** Target XVI: The Raven and The Crow**

* * *

_"Pescatrice! Pesca__—I'll be damned, Fiona Benivieni, move your backside over here this very instant or there will be consequences to deal with!"  
_

_Forget brushing her teeth, Fiona bolts down the hallway to the source of the female shrieking the moment she's heard the word 'consequence'. She doesn't dare go against Alessio's third hand-picked nanny ever again: the woman is infamous for her immediate use of a scalding stick to your fingers if you so much as blink in the wrong direction.  
_

_Fiona skids to a halt inside her own room, in front of an open terrace door, wind blowing the long curtains inside. "What'sch going on?" _

_Old nanny Angiola__—not at all true to her name__—crosses her arms and looks over Fiona's poor state of clothing with a reprimanding glare. "You're still not presentable at this hour of a day? Don't you have a meeting in thirty minutes?"__  
_

_Fiona slurps some of the toothpaste away. "Shorry." It's best if you don't talk back to the woman. For some unclear reason Alessio thought that having a female influence while growing up is supposed to have a good impact on his niece. Instead Fiona's only learned to hide her own faults in front of the nanny all the better. She's currently holding a broomstick in her hands after all.  
_

_"What is the meaning of this?" _

_The younger woman blinks in confusion. "Thish being...?" _**_Kraa! _**_"Ah. Should've warned__'chuu."_

_Upon her words the dark-haired male detaches himself gracefully from the billowing curtains, his movement veiled within the flutter of the wind as he steps up with a bow of his head. "Apologies. I was not told that someone frequented the rooms."  
_

_Nanny Angiola gapes like a fish. "Not told__—who is this person, Miss Fiona?" **Kraa kraa! **The large raven races over their heads in a low arc before landing on the nearby mantlepiece. "...and the bird. Of course."  
_

_Fiona shrugs her shoulders, merrily brushing her teeth again. "Gavran and Brokenbeak. My new shcouts."_

* * *

When Fiona entered the living room after a much needed long and very hot shower, she had to resist the urge to pinch her cheek and check for the possible reality of this current predicament. "Out of all the situations I had expected to be in after I moved to Japan, this..." she gestured helplessly at the room, "is not one of them."

The sister of a long-dead friend lounged by the kitchen counter. Hibari Kyoya lounged comfortably on her leather couch. Let's not forget her own self who just exited her bathroom, damp hair and a towel on her shoulders with no care in the world.

No denying the strangeness of the situation. Right? Riiight.

When her eyes eventually fell on the neatly perched group of four crows and one massive raven on her windowsill, reality hit her square across the face in an ominous enlightment. Raising a shaky hand, she pointed to the watchful birds. "They're domesticated—"

With a triumphant _kraa_ one of the smaller crows generously pooped on the windowsill.

Fiona's hand dropped. "I hate you so much." _Kraa kraa kraa!_

"Whaddya expect? They're animals," Vrana said nonchalantly, nursing some milk in her glass.

Letting go of her towel Fiona raised both hands to point very visibly over at the single male on her couch. "His bird doesn't poop anywhere!"

Vrana regarded him disdainfully from head to toe. "Right. One of Birds'. Where'd ya get that one?" She took a gulp, brushing the milk beard away with one arm. "Guy's obsessed with them fluffballs."

Fiona rested her arms on the couch lean, fingers just inches away from Hibari's shoulders should he attempt to assault her and take her down where she stood. Not that she could do much about it if he decided to do so but it wouldn't hurt to try. "Wasn't Birds cast out, like, twelve years ago? How come you remember anything?"

"Brother." She shrug her shoulders, drinking some more milk. _Ah_, Fiona analyzed, _pattern: evasive approach. _Not going for the issue directly, trying to look unperturbed. Common traits.

Therefore Fiona sat down next to Hibari, reached for the remote, and turned on the TV. "I'm done if she's done. If you like you can just—"

"Wait! Just like that?" Vrana looked thoroughly flabbergasted. "Yer not even gonna pretend ta care?"

"What am I supposed to care about?"

Any other person might have felt guilt upon the way those gold eyes and their irises visibly constricted from pain. Vrana was thin, much thinner than Fiona remembered her being. On an old picture she'd seen once the girl had had long hair, actual curls, and it was gleaming like silk, nothing like the patches growing out now. If not for Brokenbeak she would not have recognized her.

Vrana gestured at herself, up and down the red hoodie. "What 'bout my presence here in Japan? Yer not curious?" The raven cooed for attention and Vrana's hand flung out to point at him as well. "'bout Brokenbeak?"

Fiona sighed. _Let's get this over with quick._ Her gaze was unyielding as she stared Vrana down. "You used a slightly ajar window in one of the classrooms to smuggle one of the smaller crows inside, have it open the window, close it after you once you had entered, and then you used the vents to move around without anyone noticing. You couldn't get into Shamal's infirmary because his mosquitos stung your birds and they chose to leave the room alone, hence why I had a chance to rest." She bat her eyelashes at the younger female. "Judging from your skill set I'd say you signed up with the Mafia as an inflitrator. Give or take a year and you'll be known as The Crow. That about right?"

"I shoulda never knocked ya out."

"Tough luck. Prolonged stay in a clean environment turns Brokenbeak's abilities useless very quickly. Especially on someone who's used to them." She turned and nodded at the raven. "Does that count as 2:0 for me?" _Kraaha! _"You drive a hard bargain."

"If you're going to resort to talking to animals now I will make the punishment swift and be done with this." Hibari got up and reached for his tonfas. "You're both wasting my time."

It was a miracle she had somehow managed to convince him to wait before beating her up at all. The fact that Vrana had the uncanny ability to disappear into thin air quite literally must've helped in the matter. Similar to how they cooperated during the whole thing with Mukuro, he eventually postponed punishment for the informant in favor of punishing the thief first.

Vrana raised her palms. "Don't hit me yet! I—do ya really want ta talk in front of a stranger?"

Fiona mustered Hibari for a brief moment. Why, she wondered not for the first time this evening, did she keep him here? "He's no stranger to me." She stretched her arms over her head like a cat. Focus. "But let's not bore him too long. It'd be desastrous. Get to the point."

Vrana jumped to her feet so suddenly that the crows fluttered in fright. "How dare ya order me around!"

Hibari whistled in approval before nestling back into the couch. Anyone that went against her is alright in his books all of a sudden, huh? Jerk.

"I am merely dealing out advice," Fiona retorted calmly, crossing one leg over the other. It's weird, being in a situation like this. Her heart was beating furiously but she didn't show it outwardly. The TV was still running but at such a low volume she could barely hear the advertisement's jingle. She threw the boy next to her a glance—hell, why _was_ he still here?—but he was watching the scene in his usual predatory manner. Waiting.

Just as she was.

Vrana paced up and down the small space between kitchen and living room, hands running along the short-cropped hair. "And I thought I could see for myself who my brother praised so much. I thought living's the better way of dealing with ya, with yer actions." She stopped, turning around in anger. "Did ya think I'd be grateful for the money?"

Fiona shrug her shoulders, not even batting a lash at the outburst. Funny how the more agitated she grew, the less of an accent she developed. The lazy slur disappeared from her voice, words sharp and clear as she shouted them. "Since you are alive and well I take it you used it in good measure."

"Who told ya ta even get involved?!" Vrana looked at her for a long time, chest heaving, distressed. It's all too palpable.

"Your brother did," Fiona answered, as cool and unmoving as stone.

Like a blow to the stomach all the anger dissipated from her posture. Her gold eyes softened and she bit her lower lip to the point where Fiona expected her to burst out in tears right then and there. Vrana didn't. Anger morphed into something else entirely.

Hope.

The words tumbled from her lips and Fiona was sure under no other circumstance would the girl allow herself to be this vulnerable. "Don'tcha feel lonely?"

Hope is much too easy to betray. "I don't see a reason to."

If she was put off by Fiona's cool demeanor she didn't initially react to it. Again she nodded in the raven's direction. "I read every newspaper article on ya, watched every interview they broadcasted on yer MafiaTV." She drew a hand over the bird's feathers. "But do ya now how he reacted? That stupid bird worried for ya! When I wanted to rip apart the newspaper he even scratched me!" Her eyes were more cunning than she let others believe. "Ye can't trick an animal. They don' work like humans."

Fiona folded her fingers atop her knee, looking straight ahead at the wall. If the girl wanted to learn, then she should. But don't expect an informant to be straightforward. "Since you read every article published on me you should now: did I deny my involvement?"

"There's gotta be—"

She cut her off. "Did it look like I was regretting my decisions?"

Vrana took a shaky breath, brows furrowing. "I'm not the only one sayin' something's wrong with Talvonziani."

Fiona brushed her off again. "And since when do I care about other people's opinions?"

Taking the bait, Vrana took a step closer, arms reaching out. _Hope._ "Exactly. Ya don't. That's why nobody questioned ya the way they shoulda."

"Oh, they questioned me all right," Fiona said standing up. Her eyes drilled into those of the younger girl. She had never wished for this. But if she wanted to learn, then let her learn and Fiona was _fuming_ internally. "The anger you feel, the emotion you show—it kills you, doesn't it? Helplessness, hopelessness. You react. You act. But you _live _despite the emotion constantly trying to kill you for leaving things unresolved."

Suddenly Vrana took a step back, every inch a 16-year-old girl; insecure, frightful. This world was new to her. She'd hated it once with every fiber of her being. Fiona would make her hate it all over again because she had waited long enough now. "And right there is the difference between you and me, between an informant and an expendable pawn." Fiona scoffed, eyes hardening with distaste. "Emotional attachment to a subject is a weakness any respectable informant cannot allow himself to have."

_It's a lie._

She closed the gap between them with two quick strides. "Whatever happened that night, I allowed it to happen with full awareness of its consequences. So, Vrana, if you came to Japan with a reason," she folded her arms, "ask the right questions. Ones which I haven't already answered a thousand times over for you to read in godawful articles. Because frankly, they bore me."

_Ask the right questions. Don't force me to lie._

The silence following her speech is thin, almost inexistent. Fear tugged at its edges, hoping that nobody would notice the burning fire inside; the walls crumbling; cities razed. The inner turmoil the girl fought with was too easy to see and the boy behind her wore a hole into her back, reeled in by the blood she spilled and radiated.

Hope is the easiest to betray.

Fiona turned on her heel and headed for the door, slipping into her shoes and coat. She had just reached for the keys, when—

"All I have left is you."

Fiona looked over her shoulder only to see Vrana slumped down on the floor, expression forlorn even as she sought the green eyes of the other woman. To think that it had all started so nerve-wrackingly easy-going, just a mysterious thief to catch. That her time in Namimori had passed eventlessly, a vacuum of fragile peace. Fiona should've known better.

It all came back eventually.

Between the hiccups starting from her throat the small girl managed to form one last question. "How'd my brother die, Fiona?"

All Fiona wanted was to shake her head. It's the wrong question. "Like every other being in the world." It's the wrong question again. "He eventually stopped breathing." She looked back to the door, keys still in the palm of her hand. "I'm done," she added as an afterthought in the head prefect's direction before she slammed the door shut.

In the middle of the corridor she stopped and her eyes fell to her shoes. Nearly two years she'd been gone. It would be a lie to say that she didn't feel lonely.

She simply knew how to hide it from the rest of the world.

* * *

_The scenery rushes past them in a blur, a shaded world behind the limo's tinted glass. ___"You have a sister?__" _Fiona stops mid-way in opening the letter she has received an hour prior. "How old is she?"_

_"She turned fourteen last week. Vrana is her name." Gavran watches the scenery intently, gold eyes lost in reverie. He's never been too comfortable sitting in a car. "She never wanted me to join the Mafia. The Uccello famiglia has always been more of an outcast than a real part of the criminal world."_

_Fiona snorts and pulls out the documents. "I wonder why. Your bird is so well-educated. Apart from when he's trying to shit on my papers." Her eyes scan its contents, signed by the Ninth himself. "The two of you in contact still?"_

_"Of course. I write letters." He briefly turns to look at her. "Surely you must know."_

_She shrugs, turning to another page. "I noticed you sending your paychecks somewhere but I'm not one to spy on the people in my personal network. I chose you for a reason, and one of it is trust." Fiona hums, brushing a finger across her carefully woven hair. "What do you need?" _

_His eyes look startled for the briefest second but he catches himself quick enough. "You noticed."_

_"Part of the job description, remember? I'm a walking, talking polygraph."  
_

_"Yes, so many things are included in your job description." His eyes dance mirthfully before he turns towards her with a solemn expression once more. "I need your assistance in hiding a certain doctor's identity. My sister must not notice that he is from the Mafia, lest she refuses to take up the therapy." He sighs. "But he is by far the best specialist on the field I have found."  
_

_"You and your stilted way of talking. Does it run in the family?" She crosses her legs. "Gimme his contacts and I'll arrange something. Long-term?" Gavran nods._

_"I will give you the specifics later." Fiona marks it away. The black-haired scout leans over the letter in her hands once the matter is dealt with. "What is this? And where are we going?" _

_She handed him the first paper. "We're picking up Tamino to brief him on the mission. Nono said to bring in my whole network." Which consists of her and those two guys basically. "Besides, he has real tasty imported coffee and I'm totally raiding his kitchen." She rubs the back of her neck, focusing back on the matter at hand. "Vongola's been getting some conflicting messages from the Talvonziani complex. They want us to make sure the grand opening goes off smoothly."_

_Gavran raises a brow. "Talvonziani?"_

_"Yeah. ___It's a combination of the names of the families taking a part in its construction._" She flips through the pages until she finds the one she wants. "The building is on Tallone territory, and the families Vongola, Zia, 'Ndrangheta as well as Iella forwarded a great deal of money in favor of, I quote, mutual cooperation for the greater Mafia good. Cheesy stuff." Fiona shrugs and leans back into the snug leather seats. _

_"The usual procedure: watch out for leaks, make sure nobody assassinates the heads and that the building doesn't collapse on our heads because a drunk is shooting the fireworks inside instead of out."_

_Her scout, ever true to his profession, keeps his head above water for a clear overview of the situation. "'Ndrangheta?" Gavran asks with a frown. "Have they finally committed to our cause?"_

_Her expression darkens. "I hope so. Otherwise blood will spill." They screech to a halt soon after and Fiona pushes her sunglasses back atop her nose. "Shall we, my dear Raven?"_

* * *

"Hey, Tsuna. Want to check out the barbeque?" Yamamoto asked cheerily, plaster on his cheek and neck. "I can smell it all the way up here. I'm so hungry now!"

Barbeque? "Oh, right! Because of the repairs in the canteen the Student Council arranged a new menu in the courtyard," Tsuna answered. Tents had been placed outside to accomodate the seating arrangements with all sorts of new food to choose from. Technically the repairs were called _restaurations_ to the rest of the school. A _water pipe_ had broken and the school simply took the chance to also _renovate_ and _modernize_ the cafeteria where it could. Probably to make more metal doors. He lowered his voice. "Do you think Fiona-san's fine?"

Yamamoto laughed. "I'm sure she is! She's tougher than she looks!"

"Like a cockroach," Gokudera muttered from behind him before wincing in pain.

Tsuna turned to look at him from over his shoulder, mustering up a shaky smile. Gokudera had taken the worst out of the three of them; his need to challenge the head prefect to a proper battle causing him only more injuries. Add the fact that he'd also gotten the brunt force of the explosion (shielding Tsuna) and Shamal vehemently refused to treat him, the bomber's head was as colorful as a rainbow where the bandages showed any skin.

Hibari was really, _really_ brutal in his wrath.

Tsuna tried to downplay that line of thoughts to the best of his abilities. "But who was that person?" Reborn's explanation about the thief was vague at best and even at home he had avoided the topic by either falling asleep or going on a stroll with Bianchi when he opened his mouth to ask him about it. As shifty as ever that baby.

"Another compatriot?" Yamamoto asked Gokudera.

He simply scoffed (and winced). "How the hell should I know? Do you think I know all of Italy? Your brain really must be the size of a baseball."

"How many times do I have to tell you to leave my poor Japanese friend alone?"

The boys' head snapped around to spot Fiona standing in the door way as casually as always. Gokudera was the first to point out the unmistakable egality. "Oi! How come you look fine while the Juudaime got a beating?!"

_I'm the one who's fine compared to you!_ Tsuna screamed inwardly at the silver-head. It had taken the head prefect only one blow to take him out before going after Gokudera and Fiona, the not-so-fine martyr.

Fiona stared down her body and straightened her uniform. "Professionals call it _dodging_," she deadpanned.

Oh, good. They were at it again. That's a good sign, right? Hey, wait, don't pull out your dynamite here—!

Tsuna peeked from between his fingers when no explosion went off. Did he perhaps die this time? Is that the reason it's so silent? He never expected death to look like school, though. And to have all his friends there with him. Or an unlit dynamite stick in his lap.

"HIEEE!" he yelled out and flung it away.

"Don't worry, Tsuna, situation's all under control," Fiona reported, saluting him. That she sat on Gokudera's back and her fellow Mafioso had gone completely still from pain erupting all over his body didn't seem to interest her very much.

Yamamoto picked up one of the dynamite sticks lying on the floor. "Are you preparing for the Summer Festival already?" he asked innocently.

Tsuna was at a loss of words. "Why—Why are you here, Fiona-san?"

"Right, there was a reason," she started and slipped back to the floor. Gokudera grunted, eyes twitching but otherwise made no attempt to change his position. She clapped her hands together. "Since you were already talking about that woman—did you by chance see her anywhere?"

"Eh?" Tsuna blinked.

"The crow lady?" Yamamoto asked. Fiona nodded. "Didn't you leave with her?"

"Well, she was at my apartment last night..." Fiona pursed her lips and rolled on the balls of her feet. "This morning she wasn't."

Tsuna cocked his head to the side in thought. The blonde female looked exhausted for some reason. "Maybe she returned to Italy? Reborn invited her over, right?"

"I'll be damned if that woman came here just to bother me." Tsuna startled at the hard tone Fiona picked up. What exactly happened last night— "Her goddamn birds left a stinky mess in the morning. They ate everything in my fridge. And then there's this." She pressed a slip of paper into his palm and he folded it open to read the ominous words saying: _'You're prey, Fishie.'_

Uh-oh.

Fiona's eyes slid upwards, watching the ceiling. "Psychological warfare. She's here. At school." _Uh-oh!_ "And she's definitely out to get me."

Yamamoto clapped her on the shoulder and laughed. "Did you guys get into a fight?"

Her eyes met his with a crooked smile. "You could say we didn't start off the right foot from the very beginning." She pulled her hands back to right the clips on the braided hair bun. "If things weren't as serious as—"

_Splat._

_Kraakakakaka._

Fiona closed her eyes and dropped her arms. Tsuna tried his very best not to look at the bird poop on her hair. Even Yamamoto looked shocked speechless.

She took a deep breath and straightened her back. "If you would excuse me, I have somebody to murder." Just as she crossed the doorway, the speakers cracked to life.

_"Student Benivieni Fiona's presence is requested in the Reception Room. I repeat: Benivieni Fiona to the Reception Room, please."_

Tsuna clenched his eyes shut, mentally preparing himself for the onslaught that was about to come. Out of all the times to call for her—

"I'll be damned if I come running to you when I'm at my worst, you fucking way-too-strong man-devil of a human! You're in cahoots! You're all conspiring against me! It's a complot! _ARGH!_" Fiona's eyes burned green fires. Forest fires. "I'll rip your hair out one by one, girl, doesn't matter how short it is!"

—at least she's lively and well. Right?

* * *

Fiona slammed the door shut behind her. "You wanted to speak with me?"

Hibari looked up from his books clearly displeased. "Why did it take so long?"

She resisted the urge to whip him with the towel, instead leaving it where it rested comfortably on her shoulders. How domestic, he saw her with wet hair twice now. She fingered one of the damp strands of her hair. "I had other matters to take care of first." Like blow-drying. Good thing the janitor kept all sorts of miscellanous objects in his office.

Oh boy, was she pissed. Stupid bird lovers with their bird brains.

_Kraa!_

Fiona's eyes turned wide upon spotting Brokenbeak on the couch. "You!" she exclaimed, finger-pointing.

The bird looked smug as it seized her up from head to toe. _Kraahaha._

Her eyes twitched in annoyance. To think they'd once been partners in crime. Unbelievable. Without his master to tame him he was a menace through and through.

Her finger traveled like the pin needle of a compass and stopped to a halt on the head prefect next. "What's the meaning of this? Why is the bird here?"

"Do you want me to bite that finger off?"

She promptly dropped the arm. She almost hadn't noticed the rising blue tide in his eyes that came as his usual warning of battle, too befuddled had she been at Brokenbeak's sudden presence in the Reception Room. And he did _shit_ on her head—focus, woman, focus, for the love of—

Her eyes fell on Vrana, sitting crosslegged on the carpet, something very much akin a blowpipe dangling from her lips.

Fiona's eyes turned wide. "You!" she exclaimed, finger-pointing.

"Yer jokes're gettin' repetitive."

She dropped her arm again and shrug her shoulders. "Always trying."

A waft of angry aura washed over her just then and she froze on the spot. Strangely enough Hibird managed to ride the wave, casually landing on her shoulder as if its master wasn't about to tear their heads off right then and there. For being little more than a fluffball the bird sure had nuts. "Are you done with your nonsense?" Hibari's glare swept across the room.

_"Hibari, Hibari!"_

_Kraa!_

Did birds account for crowding? "Sure am." What did she get herself into again?

He gave her a longer glare than the others for proper measure before leaning forward, nodding in Vrana's direction. Only now did Fiona notice that she was cuffed behind the back, ropes digging into her thin wrists. "The thief has returned to cause mayhem."

Of course she had. She could _see_ her sitting there. Fiona placed two fingers to her temple and sighed. Let's first check for the severity of the crime. "What exactly did she do?" Her fingers parted the blonde mane in three parts and began braiding as she waited for Hibari to answer.

Hibari nodded to his right where—really, what messes did she always manage to get into?—a prefect lay perfectly still and unconscious on the ground, a heavy folder like a perfect triangle tent over his fave. Fiona cocked her head to the side as she braided, reproducing the course of the incident inside her mind. The prefect lost control over his fingers, his eyes curled up and his knees finally gave in. In a vain attempt to get his body standing again his hands brushed and clung to the folder that had lain on the table beforehand and knocked himself out as he pulled it down atop his face.

Reasonable. Let's not forget to mention the poison dart embedded in his neck.

"At least," Fiona said with a smile once she had her braid tied securely. Simple but effective. "It didn't get you." She clasped her hands together jovially. All her inner senses screamed alarm, rabbit-mode awakened.

The tonfas spun languid circles between his fingers. "I will bite you to death."

Fiona was out of the room within the last syllable, running for her dear life. "This is not over, Vranaaaa!"

* * *

"Ya've weird friends." Fiona didn't even startle anymore, simply continuing her path down the school's corridor as if nothing was out of the ordinary. Especially not voices coming from the walls. "Who has ropes conveniently lyin' 'round his office? And he knocked me out, one-shot!" The braided hair danced behind her as she went her way. Hide it away from your own throughts: she's not here.

"Oiii, yer ignorin' me. Shall I drop some more poop on—"

Fiona neatly punched the wall to the right. It groaned in pain. "If you want to die a painful death. My patience is running thin." Then she picked up her pace once more.

Vrana stumbled after her, clutching her stomach beneath the telltale red sweater. "Ouch, come on, Fisher. I have a job ta do here'n Japan. Lemme a hand."

"_Lend me_ a hand," Fiona corrected as she rounded a corner and headed for the staircase. Up and to the roof she goes. If she was lucky Tsuna and the rest would be there, eating. And if it's not the guys, she really hoped Vrana could vanish into thin air as easily as she could slip out because if Hibari or any of his patroling prefects caught her waltzing about school, she was in for a joyride. "A little less slurring gets you a far way."

"I'm tryin' ta get used ta Japanese, 'kay? Pronuncitation's weird."

Fiona stopped mid-step, thinking. Should she...? She shook her head, getting back to ascending the stairs. If she corrected each and every mistake of hers they would be talking until tomorrow morning. "I should rile you up again to cure you of your laziness."

"I learned my lesson." Vrana sped up and overtook her, blocking her way. Brokenbeak dropped his illusion on cue and landed silently on the bannister, talons unfar from her fingers. "Gonna answer my questions now that I got yer attention?"

Fiona stared at the bird. _Don't shit on me. _"Ask the right ones and I may just do that." When Fiona looked up, Vrana's gaze was as hard and scrutinizing as it was soft and wistful. The gold was piercing, dancing, all too much alike, and she couldn't help it, for the briefest of seconds it's all she sees—

_Rain and the pitter-patter of blood and mud, Brokenbeak nibbling and nuzzling his ear, his hair, his neck. __His hand is limp in her own. It hurts so much. __Reality is falling apart into a thousand pieces and it hurts so damn much. _

—Fiona pushed the memory away to the back of her mind, effectively sealing it from her thoughts without the girl ever noticing a change in demeanor. Concealment is her forte after all. She could not afford a weakness.

She met her piercing stare head-on. "What do you want to know?"

"Why'd ya send me the money?" Vrana asked, eyes too big, too serious in that thin face of hers. She'd grown up, a sixteen-year-old now, in a world she never wanted to have a part of.

_She never wanted me to join the Mafia. __The Uccello famiglia has always been more of an outcast than a real part of the criminal world._

"I was his employer. He had leftover paychecks. You were the closest relative I could find." She shrug her shoulders. "Easy as that."

Vrana closed the gap between them, stopping on the stair just above Fiona's. Her body trembled with restrained fury, fires brewing like molten gold around her pupils. "Did ya ever imagine to see me?"

Fiona carefully shut away all feelings from her own expression. Professionalism. She wouldn't give the younger girl any obvious tell to work with. "Well, not many have the ability to get over their chemotherapy this fast and decide to join the Mafia as soon as they're able to stand on their own again. Most people value their life a little more than that." She cocked her head to the side, braid slipping to her back.

"Surprise!" Vrana exclaimed. Brokenbeak watched the conversation with intelligent eyes, unmoving. "What're we ta do now, Fisher?"

Her brows rose to her hairline. "We? Go our own ways."

For a moment the girl blinked in surprise before laughing, a rough and throaty sound. "So blunt." They stared at each other for a long time then, each mustering the other, never giving in. The bell rang above their heads. Break was starting. Voices filled the hallways to both their sides, doors sliding open, students approaching in carefree chatter.

Vrana's eyes shone with something akin to frustrated understanding. "Why won't cha tell me a goddamn thing?"

For the first time Fiona smiled. "Because it's not time yet." She closed her eyes for a moment. "I don't want his death to go to waste."

When she looked up again, both the raven and the girl were gone and she was caught within the current of students brimming with life and love, boneless and weak to do anything about it.

At least this time the finality felt a little less lonely.

* * *

_It's pouring._

_Her head hurts when she tries to stand up and she coughs blood. The pain wanders down to the side of her ribcage and when she turns to inspect the wound, her shirt is in tatters, sticking to the open and raw skin. Dirty splinters drill a way through her body, dotting the left side of her exposed body red. Water puddles in pale pink streams as it rains—_

_Fiona looks up. The ceiling is gone._

_Then there's a wheeze behind her that makes her heart tumble over itself._

__His breathing is labored. _"Gavran," she calls out. ___No answer. _She crawls over to him agonizingly slow. Pain makes her scrunge up her face but she doesn't stop. Her heartbeat doubles in its speed. "Gav, you jerk, answer me," she yells out more forcefully.  
_

_This time it's Brokenbeak answering, a terrifying shriek to the heavens that has her heart stand still. He can't, he wouldn't—_

_"Fiona...?"_

_"I'm here." She crawls up to his dark form, mud clinging to her hands and clothes. "It's okay." It's not okay. "We have to get out of here." One look at his wounds tells her they can't. She brushes his hair to the side, out of his face. The gold in his eyes is dulling. Don't look at his wounds,** stop looking at his wounds**._

_"What we just..." he starts. Blood trickles down the side of his mouth and she's not quick enough to wipe it away, the falling rain is hard and merciless, washing it away first. "Did we manage it?"_

_Her hands fumble with his tattered clothing, trying to cover the gaping wound in his chest. Hide it away, you're the best at hiding, hide it away—"Yes. Don't you feel the rain? It's making a mess out of my hair." The joke tastes stale on her tongue. It's not working. Her hands shake too much. Her side hurts. Her head is ringing but she has to continue. Hide. **Focus.** "The rest of the guys are waiting for us upstairs. They also have bandages." She simply **has** to continue. "Let's get out of here."_

_Brokenbeak caws in a way that is reminding her too much of a human crying._

_"Cannot." He coughs and there's only more blood. "My sister..." His every breath looks pained. He won't be able to say much more. No. Don't think like that. Focus. "Promise me. She must stay safe."_

_Don't think like that, don't talk like that, don't listen—_

_"___Come on. It's just a joke, this whole thing with the job description._" The wounds won't disappear. This time it's the rain that can't catch up to the amount of blood clinging to her fingers. She's panicking. She has to calm down. But it hurts so much. Brokenbeak is crying. Her head won't stop ringing. "Dying isn't really a part of it. Come on." She tries to heave him up but his leg—it's stuck. He groans in pain. _

_"Fiona, do not... don't..."_

_Her whole body is shaking and she just barely manages to hold back the urge to vomit. "Don't make me do this. Your sister is going to beat me into a pulp." Fiona tries to heave the boulder off his leg but she slips and falls into the mud. Her body cries out in pain. Her eyes burn despite the cold rain. "Don't just lie there. You're my scout. You're not supposed to get your hands dirty like this. Stand up. Stand **up**_._" Panic. She can't stop herself. _

_The smile that finds its way onto his lips is soft; ___a memory-worn warmth blooming like a long lost spring. S_omething inside her cracks when he drops his stilted manner of speech. "I can't."_

_Why? Why does it have to be them? "Don't have me make promises like it's the last time we'll ever talk, you damned bird lover! Come on!" The boulder won't move. All she manages is to dirty her clothes, to rip open her wound, pain washing over her in explosive bursts. They only have to get out, leave this place—_

_And then Fiona stops in her struggle altogether and it feels as if eternity is resting on her shoulders. She can't hide it away. She simply can't._

_The gold in his eyes is ebbing away even as the raindrops catch onto his lashes. Hide. Focus. Hide. It's hard to break out of patterns. "Get up, please." She reaches for his hand, tries to warm it with her own. He doesn't answer this time. "Please," Fiona mutters, voice breaking. It hurts so much. She can't even hide the truth from her own self any longer. "Please get up." _

_Rain and the pitter-patter of blood and mud as Brokenbeak flutters next to his master, nibbling and nuzzling his ear, his hair, his neck. He doesn't respond. His hand is limp in her own. _

_It hurts so much. Reality is falling apart into a thousand pieces and it hurts so damn much. _

* * *

The cool surface of a tablecloth had never felt so good. Fiona sighed in contempt as she rolled her forehead first left, then right, then left again to take advantage of the cold and soothing effect.

It was cold even without the table adding to it. The thin flysheet of the makeshift canteen didn't offer a lot of protection against the elements and while summer was nearing the nights reminded you that the hot months haven't arrived yet. Currently being a little cold was all Fiona really wanted anyway. It fit her mood.

In all honesty she was the first to become emotionally attached to someone. Her eyes softened. Very easily at that. When her neck started to ache from the position she was in, she heaved her head up, rubbing her aching forehead.

Then her eyes fell on Hibari Kyoya sitting opposite her and she almost jumped out of her chair.

"For fuck's—"

"Language."

"—fidelity's sake." She pressed a hand to her chest, trying to calm her fluttering heart. "You scared the living shi—"

He rose a brow. "Language."

"—poo-poo out of me, appearing out of thin air! I didn't even notice your usual bloodthirsty aura." This walking, talking, beating-her-up-if-she-did-not-comply profanity filter was going to be the death of her one day.

Hibari didn't even blink as he answered. "You were inattentive." Geez, Sherlock, way to go with stating the obvious. "It's past curfew," he said.

She squinted at the plastic cut-out windows in the flysheets. True enough, it's pitch black outside. "Club activities are over already?"

"Long ago." He looked her over, waiting. She found it strangely endearing how he was only one flick of his fingers away from throwing her out like usual. If she chose to stand up on her own now they could leave without another violent incident he'd have to regulate her for. She'd skipped most of her classes today as well after all.

Hibari leaned back with a watchful expression. That guy could stab a person to death with just one single look let alone his weapons. She was just about to leave when he spoke up. "What are you going to do about that herbivore?"

Huh. He wanted to talk. Fiona settled back into her chair. "Nothing."

The look he sent her was almost funny. Apparently impatience was his greatest virtue. Fiona raised her arms. "Don't worry about it too much, Mr. Head Prefect. She's my responsibility. I'll clean things up nice and clean."

Hibari crossed his arms over his chest. It caused the loosely cast jacket to shift slightly, revealing a dozing Hibird by his neck. Cute. "Did you think I would let you leave unpunished?"

"I hoped?" Glare. One day she'll make him laugh! Tonight she stood her ground against him with ease, though. "Since I am not her accomplice this does not count as a violation of rules. There is no instance in which I have assisted her in her illegal businesses at school. I even paid a third of the overall repair costs " When he rose a brow, she clarified. "As an anonymous backer." Good thing she'd held onto that Gokudera-bucket as her money machine.

"You stood against the Disciplinary Committee's course of action." His eyes slanted ever so slightly. So that's what he was getting at. "How will I know you won't repeat such impropriety in the future?"

Impropriety... Fiona snorted. "I don't have a death wish. I had business to take care of with her, which I did." To some queer degree. "Everything will return to its normal state now."

_Apart from my own self, _some sinister part of her whispered. The restless nights grew in numbers; the lapses caught her off-guard more often; phantom pains pinched her left side and the scar itched beneath her uniform. She only had to go on a while longer. Events around her were tightening and it's only a matter of time until—

Completely lost in thought she was much too late to react when Hibari leaned over to hit her square across the stomach.

She clutched the affronted part of her anatomy and moaned in pain. Hard and swift in its execution. Very good handiwork, man-devil. If he'd only stop including her in his training plan she'd feel much obliged. "At least it's not my face," she muttered, casting a rueful glance at him.

There was his crocodile smug smile radiating unadulterated danger. "Do you _want_ me to shut your mouth?" He pressed his weapon to her throat.

She squinted at the cool metal. Funny, she didn't enjoy this sort of cold _at all_. "If you want me to start skipping classes because I can't hide the bruises since sunglasses are forbidden and you tolerate only very little make-up on girls, then by all means, start hitting away." He pressed down harder, slowly choking her. Long sentences are bad, I get it. "We don't want that, right?" He was in the upper position, but she was a friend of patience. Any moment he'd slip and give her a chance to escape. He was really...

He was really very _close_ all of a sudden. Fiona blinked. She could count the dark lashes framing his eyes, his gaze burning—"I dislike weaklings. Stop reeking of fear."

The confusion must've shown on her face for his tonfa wandered higher and tilted her chin up, Hibari taking in her features with a scrutinizing look and a patience that was completely unlike the bloodthirsty predator he usually preferred. "As long as it doesn't interfere with neither my city nor my work I do not care about your wrongdoings." His breath brushed her lips as he spoke and they tingled from the sensation. "But do not come running to me for assistance, Student Council. I will see it as a sign of your weakness."

Suddenly it clicked. Worry.

_(Her eyes drilled into those of the younger girl. __She had never wished for this. But if she wanted to learn, then let her learn and Fiona was **fuming** internally. _

_And the boy behind her wore a hole into her back, reeled in by the blood she spilled and radiated.)_

_("Everything will return to its normal state now." _

_**Apart from my own self**, some sinister part of her whispered.)_

He'd caught her in a vulnerable moment and had been worried about the sudden change in demeanor. At least as much as Hibari Kyoya was capable of. If she wavered, he would dispose of her.

Why did she think there was more to it than that?

Her lips parted for a brief moment, debating whether to speak or not, the touch of the weapon by her neck distracting. "I would not expect anything less," she said, locking gazes.

Hibari stared back for a moment longer before releasing his hold on her, sheathing the tonfa. _I've earned his respect._ "It's past curfew. Leave now." Without another word he turned around and left, flysheets crumpling close behind him as the night swallowed him whole.

All Fiona managed was to blink as the new information raced through her mind like a whirlwind across the countryside. He had no interest in knowing anything about her. It's a nice change of pace, to have someone just nod and do; to want _her_ to just nod and do. She was selfish to seek this kind of confirmation from someone like him; to grow attached. There were at least a hundred excuses springing to mind about why she shouldn't. Too much testosterone. Yes, that's it. He didn't—

Of course not, it's Hibari we're talking about.

But maybe she could—

Stop that line of thought immediately, woman.

Her head spun. For all the happenings of a single day she wasn't quite sure that she was supposed to feel positively giddy all of a sudden. Hibari's strong. _A fighter. Headstrong. Bloodthirsty. Merciless. Proud. True to his word._ And he smelled nice.

Wait a minute.

Did she just randomly...?

Fiona placed her forehead back on the tablecloth, enjoying the cool it brought to her warm face.

* * *

**A/N:**

**This was a difficult chapter to write. It's the first real transition into the past and I didn't want it to feel forced. This is I believe the 4th different edition of the chapter... so much English. T_T  
**

**I'd be really happy if you leave a review. Otherwise it's very difficult for me to tell whether you like a particular thing or not (especially when I'm diverting from Canon like here). This is as much writing practice as it is for fun. Is it too confusing? Are the mysteries boring? Chapter too long? Hibari OOC/IC? I want to see them kiss so bad, while we're on that topic, and I'm the author, jeez.**

**Translations:**

_Vrana __**— Crow (in Croatian)  
**_

_Gavran **—** **Raven (in Croatian)**_

_Uccello (famiglia) **—**_ **_Bird (family); so creative, I know.  
_**


	18. First Time Appreciation

**I don't own ********_Katekyō Hitman Reborn!_****.**

**This is a much needed break of all the seriousness. Let's have some fun and light progress!  
**

* * *

** Target XVII: First Time Appreciation**

* * *

Summer was in full flourish.

Fiona's mood wasn't.

She had never been the greatest sleeper, what with her unhealthy caffeine intake and the difficulty to enter a deep slumber. Her insomnia had only grown worse over the past years: when she caught some sleep, it was restless. When she dreamt, it wasn't of pleasant things.

Tonight she had dreamt. Shadowy figures of friends and foes, people she had come to genuinely like and hate, learned to appreciate and keep an eye on. It had always been her job to keep watch over all of them, to know as much as there is to know no matter their disposition. It's what she did, with every fiber of her being.

And then there were the threads. So many threads, colored in every shade imaginable, and it had been such a bright place that even inside her dream she had looked up in awe. All of them were connected to her, drew a playful pattern over her body, and for a brief moment she thought,_ look how well I did_.

Then the threads grew taut and choked her.

Somebody entered the bedroom. "Yer a vampire or somethin'?"

Fiona groaned into her pillows when the beating of wings accompanied Vrana into the room. Out of all places, her sleeping quarters were supposed to be off-limits to those spawns of evil. "Are _you_ a nightmare come true? Get your—_argh!_" Suddenly light streamed into the room, blinding her. Fiona promptly pulled the blanket over her head. Oh, the headache that would be arriving in a minute. Glory to unwanted guests and freeloaders. Let their souls rot in sun-ridden paradise because _she_ needn't their brightness, thank you.

Vrana blinked in confusion, feeling out the cloth of the newly installed curtains of her bed between her thin fingers. "What're ye mumbling 'bout?"

"Your damnation. Why?" The answer was muffled by the blankets but Vrana heard just fine judging by the way her crows started cawing angrily.

_You dare insult our mistress!_

_Hell yeah I do!_

_KRAAA!_

She silenced them quickly and Fiona was thankful enough to risk a peek from beneath the comforting dark. "Get out. It's way too early for me to put up with you. Why haven't you left for Italy already?" Before she gulped down her first _jug_ of coffee she was not in a very talkative mood, thank you very much.

"Yer fun ta tease, Miss Know-It-All." Vrana knelt down to meet her on eye level, resting her small head on the mattress. Fiona had to resist the urge to draw a hand across that short trimmed hair. It would feel spiky, wouldn't it? Four pairs of black-beaded eyes watched her. Fiona sent them all a glare. Focus. No thinking about hairstyles when birdholes are about. "Yer alarm went off thrice. Brokenbeak eventually killed it." She pushed the broken pieces of her former alarm clock across the matress.

Fiona peeled off a piece of its inner mechanism out; the clockwork broken and bent and missing edges. That bird still had it in him. "Is that the only incident you have to report today?" she asked.

Vrana's eyes curved upwards, lips pursed in a low whistle. If that wasn't one blatantly obvious tell, Fiona would eat her own hair strand by beautiful strand. "Tell me before I find out myself and you really wind up missing."

"Well, ya know how crows like shiny stuff?" Fiona nodded. Vrana wet her lips. "Ya also know that one pair o' shades ya got?"

"The one with the geometrical Carnelian-Ruby-Pyrite embellishment?"

"... not anymore."

* * *

"Why make me come over this early in the morning?" Fiona yawned and pulled her jacket close over her body. It didn't help the goosebumps on her bare legs, covered by little more than loose shorts and thin shoes. While it was summer already, mornings were still frustratingly cool and she cursed herself for not clothing herself properly. "It's cold. I'm hungry. Also thirsty, while we're at it."

A group of cawing birds ate up all her food reservoirs. _Again._

"Do you have anything you're not whining about, woman?!" Gokudera scoffed.

Although he couldn't see it through the sunglasses, she shot him a deadpan glance of her own. "I'm simply stating facts. It's to have you all well-informed about my current condition should I choose to jump out the window at any given moment. At least I don't need to take a piss, that'd be a pain in the ass, wouldn't it?"

His hands immediately covered his ears. "Too much information!"

Haru jumped with a startled hiccup. "Hahi! You can't talk in such an unladylike manner, Fiona-san!"

"I'm moody. And under-appreciated."

It had been one huge pain in the arse to stuff Vrana and her devils into an airplane headed to the farthermost secluded village _away_ from Namimori and for them to actually _stay inside_. Because the first time around they'd reappeared in front of the informant just as she exited the airport, all sweet smiles that they intentionally wasted the expensive ticket the blonde had bought them last-minute.

The second time she made sure to use lots of rope. Because nobody messes with her sunglasses and gets away with it.

Tsuna managed to draw them all back to reality with another one of his panicked yells that he had cemented as his trademark method of identification. Fiona would be able to discern him in a crowd one mile away. "We have other problems at stake here!" he exclaimed, tugging at the ends of his spiky hair. Fiona's head almost bobbed in approval—really, Vrana misused her status as the sister of a dead friend blatantly to make life a living hell to the informant—when she realized he wasn't talking about her problems.

What a bummer. Nobody paid attention to her these days. At least she had some quiet until Vrana managed to find her way back. The girl had no money and Fiona had given her a passport that would expire within the next hour.

It's always such a joy to have a good forger on your side.

"That's right!" Haru immediately followed, raising a tiny fist into the air. "Tsuna-san's life is in danger, hahi!"

Right. There had been an actual reason behind her scantly-clad state and why she'd run over to Tsuna's house in the first place. Much to her surprise it's not just the usual rag-tag group of misfits (Tsuna, Gokudera, Yamamoto) that had gathered in the boy's room but there's also Miura Haru, Reborn and Shamal waiting on stand-by by the time she got over there. For an early sunday morning that's a feat.

Well, then again Sawada Tsunayoshi _did_ manage to make his first kill. Gossip factory would work overtime if news got out and the only reason Fiona had rushed through the streets with just a simple pony tail was to be the first to spread this delicious piece of information around. Craving for sensation is a basic need for an informant, alright?

That the corpse in question lying on the teen's bed was Moretti the Murdered almost elicited a disappointed groan from her. That's not a kill! A kick to the shin from Reborn warped it into a pained hiss instead as he told her to stay put and leave the poor boy in the dark. Okay, it's another training session of his, I get it. So long as it didn't end with her dancing the Swan Lake again she was as good as gold.

Still, Fiona sniveled pitifully. She was really cold. There was but a thin shirt under the equally thin jacket and the weather had taken a turn from sunny to bleary exactly the moment she had stepped out. Somebody please have pity on her. "You have a doctor right _there_." She pointed to the side where Shamal lay against the wall, drunk. "Why call me?"

"Ah, but he doesn't treat men," Reborn answered nonchalantly.

Fiona shrug her shoulders. "Too bad."

"You knew this! You definitely knew this!" Tsuna cried out, pointing in Reborn's direction. Tears soaked his face. Fiona guesstimated it wouldn't take too long for him to completely lose it and attempt to outrun his so-called 'crime'.

His pure naivety was as refreshing as it was painful to watch. He had a long way to go if he truly wanted to inherit the Vongola Family's legacy.

"He's still the worst," Gokudera muttered with a glance in Shamal's direction. Then his gaze briefly brushed the informant in a similar disregarding fashion.

"Don't you dare look at me like that. You're the smoking minor here."

"Wha—!"

Yamamoto straightened his back, stepping between the two Italians. They immediately backed down like beaten puppies. "This is fun, isn't it? We're all gathered to help you!"

Her thin jacket was suddenly jerked forward as small hands grasped its ends. "Can't you do something, Fiona-san?! At this rate Tsuna-san is really going to jail!" Haru's big eyes drilled into hers and Fiona startled from the ferocity. Women in love were a dangerous thing.

She glanced in the small boy's direction and sighed. Poor Tsuna, to be stuck in another weird situation the baby deemed rewarding. And poor Haru, strange as the girl's antics sometimes are. At least she was honest with her feelings regarding a certain spike-head, unlike Fiona who was still debating over the right course of action regarding a very thuggish yet handsome black-haired—

Let's not even go there. Focus.

Fiona walked over to the smelly corner of the room (in the morning, Shamal, seriously?) and kicked the downed and drunk doctor gallantly in the gut. He curled around the offended area like a snake, groaning. "Get up. Do something productive." Picking up a trick or two from Hibari turned out useful in a situation like this nonetheless. Neat.

His eyes shot open, blinking twice before his body went from curling to jumping up into a rigid stance much too close to her face. Her hand shot out instinctively, keeping him at arm's length away from her. That stench. And those pink-colored cheeks. Let's not forget the shiver-inducing _chuu_-sounds of the myriad of sloppy kisses he sent in her direction. "I said productive, not assault me!"

He stopped, lips pursed into a pout. "Che, you're all too stingy. You should share your love with others."

"Will do. With others. Not you."

Shamal sighed and used her as a crutch instead, leaning down with his full weight and limping alongside her when she led him to the bed. "Is this guy really alive?" he asked with the barest peek at Moretti's unmoving form on the sheets. For a brief moment Fiona wondered whether the doctor even truly _saw_ something lying there in his drunken stupor beside a blotch of colors spread out on even more colors.

The teenagers inside Tsuna's room stared at the fully clothed corpse, unsure of what to say in a situation like this. Shamal nodded as if he'd expected it, continuing his curt and slurred definition of _being dead_. "If his pupils are dilated, he's not breathing and has no heartbeat, then he's dead."

Haru stepped up to the bed. "His pupils are dilated."

Yamamoto picked a paper from the floor and held it over the body's parted lips and nose. It didn't flutter. "He's not breathing."

Gokudera placed his head on the guy's chest. "His heart..." he froze, expression dark. "It's not beating."

Fiona clasped her hands together jovially, dropping Shamal unceremoniously back to the floor in the process. Good job, Moretti! "Definitely dead!" she exclaimed, sending Reborn a sharp look. The baby nodded its head in approval.

Shamal picked himself off the ground on his own this time, thin stream of blood dripping from his nose. Oh my. "If that is all. I don't have business with the dead." As chevalric as a man with a bleeding nose could leave the scene he did so, waving a curt "See ya!" in goodbye.

It took Tsuna the soft sound of a door falling shut to go into siren-mode. He was definitely closing in on the finish line of madness now. Reborn could be a worse pain in the arse than Alessio occasionally. But she couldn't say much when the baby forbade her. He's her boss by contract currently.

Meanwhile Reborn managed to calm the panicking Tsuna down to a talkable degree again. "Relax. I called someone else, just in case."

The sudden screech of brakes had their heads snapping up; a motorcycle coming to a halt in perfect line to the house. The sound of someone climbing the house's roofing followed immediately after, bringing about none other than Hibari Kyoya entering the room via window. He offered them a curt crocodile smirk. "Hey."

Tsuna's face blanched, shocked. "H-Hibari-san!"

Fiona's mouth fell, upset. "I'm _not_ dancing the Swan Lake again!"

Brief moment of silence. "Are you rehearsing something with Gokudera again?" Yamamoto asked innocently.

"Like hell!"

"For once I agree with him."

"I didn't come to play with you guys today," Hibari interrupted with his smooth voice. When are you ever, you cruel and punishing bastard of a man-devil! "I came here so that the baby owes me a favor. Sort of like a deal." His eyes briefly brushed hers and she stopped still as if struck by an arrow. _Don't get too distracted by his eyes. Focus. He can't read your mind nor hear your insults, what are you thinking?  
_

"We've been waiting for you, Hibari," Reborn greeted nonchalantly, stretching out his tiny palm. "This is the corpse in question."

Hibari hummed in thought as he stepped up to the bed. Placing his leg down on the chest, he leaned closer to Moretti. "Good job. You got the heart in one shot."

Why was that guy no hitman again? Scratch that, why wasn't he a hitman _yet_? The way she saw it, he's a hidden pro, equipped with all the right traits to waltz into a building with the odds staked against him 1:100 and come out alive, building burning to ashes behind him. Hell, he could probably rival Reborn.

Not that she'd ever say that to the Arcobaleno's face directly. He's her boss by contract, after all. And he had a weapon that made you go nude.

"Ok." The sound of his voice brought her back to the situation at hand again. With the barest sliver of respect in his expression he nodded in the baby's and Tsuna's direction, that casual smug-not-at-all-happy smirk plastered on his face. "I can dispose of this corpse for you."

Of course he can. She wasn't even surprised anymore at what he could do.

"What?!" Tsuna panicked, clearly not taking the news as laidback as she. "What are you saying?!"

Reborn ever so generously intervened. "Hibari will get rid of the corpse so it can never be found. It'll be like the crime never happened."

"That's wrong in so many different ways!"

Fiona rose a brow. Now that's something she didn't expect. "You that good?"

He regarded her from the side. "Surprised, Student Council?"

"Nah." She shook her head. "Just going to make sure I get a front seat to see how you rookies do it. Concealment is my forte usually." If Reborn didn't want _her_ to do the job, there's got to be a reason. Could be bad for business although she doubted it. He was probably testing out the extent of everyone's abilities at his disposal.

"EEEEH? Fiona-san, you're fine with the whole thing?!" Tsuna screeched. Now she's finally getting attention? That took a while. It's not like Moretti's dead form is any prettier to look at than she, pah.

Hibari nodded in her direction and turned to leave, a wordless hint to follow him. He stepped up to the window, one hand on the wooden frame. "Then I'll send someone over from the Disciplinary Committee later." So that's his method! Don't get your hands dirty and leave it to the grunts that are specialized in that line of work.

Seriously, there's got to be Mafia blood running through his veins.

"The Committee covers up a murder?!"

Fiona raised her hands in a reassuring manner. "Don't worry, Tsuna. I'll make sure everything works out properly."

He stopped panicking. "What are you going to do?" he asked cautiosly.

Sometimes she knew exactly why Reborn enjoyed his position as tutor. The power of knowing more than others is _always_ exhilarating. "I have already cartographed the best viable locations for proper disposal of any leftovers attributable to criminal activity. Aka corpses and the like. I was bored." The temperature inside the room dropped a few degrees. She beamed at Hibari like the sun personified. "I will assist the Disciplinary Committee to the best of my abilities, as always~"

Tsuna's jaw slackened. "That just makes things worse!"

Hibari jumped out the window anyway. "See ya." Fiona followed, sending out a flying kiss in goodbye.

* * *

The bike stopped to a halt around the next corner.

Frowning at the sudden loss in speed, Fiona peeked over the head prefect's shoulder. "Oh, don't mind me," she said, sweeping her hand out over the street in a sign to continue per usual. "I'm fine without a helmet."

"Get off."

Fiona pursed her lips and leaned back until she was almost sitting on top the motor. "I'll die if I do." That got his attention.

He unsheathed his weapons. "If you are so eager to die, I can make it swift."

In a bad way, that is.

Fiona cocked her head to the side, eyeing the tonfas. "I thought you'd be in a better mood since Reborn called you out personally." She clicked her tongue and crossed her legs over the vehicle. Her shorts slid up halfway across her thighs. "You'd think a guy would be all giddy with excitement to have a girl straddling his—_whoopsie-daisy_—that's a miss right there," she finished her sentence, dangling dangerously far over the ground to the left in an attempt to dodge the incoming blow.

Then she sneezed and toppled face-first into the concrete.

Hibari smirked from his elevated position. "Troubled?"

Fiona clutched her throbbing nose. "No less than usual."

As if waiting for its cue, an explosion rocked the streets beneath their feet, lighting the bleary sky with smoke and fire. Fiona turned her head to search its source. Seemed like it came from Tsuna's house. Her gaze swiveled to the side, frowning. "Say, how much of 'The corpse just landed on a driving transport truck' is my responsibility?"

They watched the truck roar past them and down the road, chased immediately by a panting Tsuna, dynamites-flinging Gokudera and the ever-laughing Yamamoto. Haru kept up with the guys' pace pretty well, considering she was busy cosplaying a walking, talking cellphone—

What the hell, Haru?

Fiona shook her head. "Let's pretend I had nothing to with it in the first place." Her eyes found his again. "So, about the me dying part." One of his brows rose in question. "I _am_ going to if you leave me out here."

"How so?"

"Because," she started, standing up and dusting her clothes off. "I am cold, hungry and thirsty all at once and as any girl can tell you, it's not a good state to be in. And you, sir, have a bike that will take me back home. With or without your consent." She dangled the bike's keys from her fingers, skillfully looted in the one moment he was distracted elsewise—when he attacked.

His eyes widened the barest fraction, checking the front of his vehicle before returning to look her over in the most terrifying icy gaze. "What do you think you're doing, Student Council?" He slid off the bike, tonfas drawn.

Going against her instinct (_RUNRUNRUN_), she stood her ground, smiling, as she took note of a change in demeanor she had noticed a while ago. "Where did _herbivore_ disappear to?"

He kept on calling her Student Council since that night.

The grin appearing on his face did nothing to ease the dangerous tension ready to spill from his eyes. "A hospital." Oh my. Her instincts (_GETOUTTAHERENOW_) grew increasingly difficult to ignore. "Do you really want me to send you there?"

With her heart hammering against her chest, she backed off until her back hit a wall. She couldn't just backpedal out of the teensy-weensy bit of haven she had established. She was no longer a herbivore. Not a carnivore per se, not even an omnivore—although she wouldn't mind that one—but something unique instead: Student Council.

Sure, he ran things at school, but with an active Student Council residing there he had to go through her more times than not. Her position and rank was almost equal to his.

That's about as big a compliment she could expect to get out of him.

Hibari had followed her; forced her to press her back into the bricks behind. "I would love a compromise instead. Hear me out?" Despite their difference in height being less than two inches his body still managed to loom dangerously over hers, head angled to look down, strands of black hair hovering just above her forehead. Respect, yes, but this haven's docks were slippery at best.

"Why should I?" he asked, voice low and menacing.

Her eyes darted between both of his, watching them for any sign of impending blue doom. His steady breath on her lips was distracting, as was the proximity of their bodies. "I—" Really distracting. "If you don't drive me home now, I'll get sick over the weekend and all the school's paperwork next week will be left to you. We don't want that, right?"

She had to struggle for every footing in his dangerous presence she could get: always provoking, always circling, always nearby at the end of his thoughts. Without it, she wouldn't have gotten as far as she did. Which is fine.

She worked best under stress, after all.

One side of his mouth curved up. He leaned in, devious lips to her ear, the thrilling scent of _him_ filling her nostrils. Not one part of his body truly touched her; their chests didn't meet, their legs stood apart. There was only the bare brush of his black hair across her skin and yet the contact sent shivers racing up and down her spine. He was always so _close_ these days.

"No," he said, breaking her line of thoughts. He's doing it on purpose, she was sure. "Even if you are sick, I will have my men deliver you the work."

Fiona couldn't help the excited grin. This guy... "How courteous." Women in love were a dangerous thing, that's true. While she had a long way to go to really fall in love with him, she had become fond of his unwavering personality, no denying that. There was no easy route with him, only to constantly keep up and_ try_.

Again a hundred excuses sprung to mind about why she shouldn't go down that way. Where he was unchangeable and as straightforward as a bullet, she was fickle and dodgy. Disrespectful where he was serious. An act versus raw honesty.

He always kept her on her toes. And she always tried to keep up and ahead.

Why shouldn't that be worthwhile?

Fiona raised the motorbike keys, wearing her most charming smile. "Still got a compromise to make. Do we have a deal?"

Hibari smirked and his eyes lit up a bright shade. "No." The tonfas gleamed dangerously.

Always proving to be a bastard man-devil, this Hibari Kyoya.

* * *

She dreamt of blackness. A far reaching darkness that neither moved nor breathed.

And it was comforting.

When Fiona opened her eyes she was staring at a familiar ceiling. Her bedroom. She furrowed her brows, trying to sort through the blankness that were her memories of the past hour. How did she get back to her apartment?

"Oh? You're awake," the all-too-mischievously-merry voice of Kusakabe chirped from the door frame. Immediately she rose from her bed to confront the boy.

The nausea hit her as soon as her feet touched laminate. Fiona wobbled back into the comforting warmth of her blankets. "I don't feel like actually _staying_ awake," she muttered, stomach churning and a headache akin the size of a windmill grinding barley at the back of her forehead. "How did I get here?" she asked instead, throwing the Elvis-incarnation what felt less like a questioning glance and more like a drunken blur.

Kusakabe shrug his shoulders, rolling the culm he always had with him between his lips. "I found you like this. The door was open by the time I got here."

"Your devil head prefect did this," Fiona stated prosaically.

Funny, that her last thoughts would be of Hibari being his usual cruel and brutish ways. Because he totally managed to down her in one shot when she'd been negligent. The windmill squeezed out the memory of a smirk and a tonfa sailing down on her.

She jumped out of bed and sprinted over to the bathroom. With a relieved sigh into the mirror she saw that her face had come to no harm. There wasn't even a bump. Humming to herself Fiona returned and snuggled back into the covers.

"Are you serious?" Kuskabe deadpanned.

"Deadly serious." Then she turned her back on him and thought about the recent happenings.

These past few days really weren't going all that well for her. First Vrana and her avian crew, invoking memories Fiona would like to stow away into the deepest recesses of her mind. Reborn had her running around in little more than her undies to play the ignorant role to Moretti's Addio. And she didn't even get around to talking to the man in the end. It was also Reborn's fault that Vrana was glued to her and she had to pay triple the price to get her out of the city.

He'd pay for those sunglasses one day. Seriously, nobody knew how to appreciate her and the work she did.

Last but not least, Hibari Kyoya knocked the living daylights out of her and left her lying in the streets to rot, but that's almost considered a common occurrence—

Wait a second.

She was currently lying in her bed at home. Kusakabe had come afterward and _found her like this_.

Her head shot up. Nausea hit back. "Couscous. Why _are_ you here?" Screw the pain, this was more important.

Kusakabe crossed his arms over his chest. It was the first time she saw him without his leather jacket on. The only thing he was sporting on his upper body was a simple, white t-shirt bulging over his muscles. "I'm supposed to bring you the school's paperwork." He pointed to a stack of papers on her nightstand that she'd failed to notice before. Then he rose one of his brows. "Hibari-san says you have to finish this week's workload before noon if you want to turn in a sick day on Monday."

It wasn't easy to surprise Fiona and catch her off-guard. But honestly, her jaw slackened at the vice-prefect's words just a tiny bit, eyes widening as realization sunk in.

("_I'll get sick over the weekend and all the school's paperwork next week will be left to you. __We don't want that, right?"_

_"No," he said, breaking her line of thoughts. "Even if you are sick, I will have my men deliver you the work."_)

They both knew it was just a cheap, provocative threat she'd uttered. He could've hit her over the head and be done with it; she would've come to school as usual.

Now she was inside her bed with the prospect of an actual day off. She only had to _keep up_ and_ try_ and finish all of it within the next few hours.

Fiona crushed the pillows in a bonebreaking hug, moody cloud of nausea dispersing in a silver lining.

Hibari Kyoya had just shown appreciation for her.

* * *

**A/N:**

**And we all know how much Fiona likes being appreciated. He even bent the school rules a teensy-weensy bit. I mean, she could get sick, there's no way of knowing that, but at least she's done the paperwork, right? That way she can miss out on a few precious school hours, who cares.  
**

**Hibari-logic is awesome tyrannic logic.**

**Before I forget: College and real life finally caught up to me and updates will have to slow down a little as a result. I'll try my best to keep as close to the weekly schedule as possible but if you spot a chapter a week late, that's the reason.  
**

**As for how Fiona ended up in her apartment...**

* * *

**Extended Cut!**

* * *

Her body slumped to the ground, head landing on her shoulder. Bright strands of hair slipped to the side of her face. Hibari sheathed his tonfas and knelt down next to the unconscious woman. He reached out with a finger, tilting her head towards him.

Her face was void of any visible wounds. He had made sure to hit her where she wouldn't complain about and make things complicated for him. The Student Council could be as unnerving as she could be efficient.

Hibari withdrew his finger and her chin landed on her bare shoulder again. The jacket slid to the side, revealing more skin and bone than clothing beneath. His eyes wandered over the rest of her body, finding a similar state of dress. Why she wore so little when she said that she was cold he couldn't understand. Not that he tried to.

He plucked the motorbike keys from her fingers and scooped the limp body up into his arms. It was easier to drive when she wasn't holding onto him all the while.


	19. Summer Flood

**I don't own ********_Katekyō Hitman Reborn!_****.**

**Guest Reviews (chronologically):**

_Guest 1:_** Very, very, very [...] deep inside! I'm sure of it! Though how big that is in relation to the rest of his delinquent personality... Catching the moon from the sky might be an easier task than finding that soft spot.  
**

_Guest 2:_** Just you wait, there's going to be even cuter scenes! I hope. I really can't tell yet.  
**

_too lazy to login:_** Yeah, I take my time when it comes to romance. XD I like playing around with the characters too much to actually think of love and all that cheesy stuff. And I always go for the guys that are _so_ not romantic, which makes it even more drawn-out. We're getting there! I promise!  
**

**Thanks for reviewing, all of you!**

* * *

** Target XVIII: Summer Flood  
**

**Low Tide**

* * *

The laughter of children, the cries of seagulls and the gentle sound of waves rinsing the sandy beach...

"The sea!" Tsuna exclaimed with giddy excitement.

"Summer's the best!" Yamamoto added in, carrying the parasol slung over his shoulder as casual as he did his bat.

Gokudera shot him a scowling look. "You sound like an old fogey."

For once Tsuna wasn't easily disheartened, even as the two started exchanging heated words. He was too mesmerized by the sight before him; the smell of actual sea water was bliss for his nose. _I never thought a day would come when I could go to the beach with my friends. I'm so excited! And I learned how to do freestyle at the pool, too! _He was beside himself from sheer happiness.

A sudden rise in voices interrupted his mental parading. He snapped his heard around, catching bits and pieces of the murmurs erupting around him. "Look at those girls. They're really cute, aren't they?"

"Like models from a magazine." Tsuna managed to make out the group of guys talking. The one who'd talked last was practically drooling.

"Let's go talk to them," a third one added, nodding in the general direction behind Tsuna. The boy turned around and gulped.

"Sorry for the wait!" Kyoko exclaimed, waving over to him, wearing little more than a bright, flower-printed bikini and beaded necklaces.

Haru grinned from one ear to the other. "We're done changing," she said, pointing at her own fashionable dark purple bikini.

And Tsuna gulped again, harder than before, in an attempt to hide his excitement. _Super cute!_

Their acquaintance with him helped divert the attention elsewhere, though, not that Tsuna noticed most of it. "They have guys with them," the drooling one said with distaste. "Lame," the flirty one cursed.

Gokudera was quick to clean up on the scene. "Scram!" he growled and the guys followed suit. Tsuna was too busy swooning over Kyoko-chan. _She sure is cute. I don't know why, but I feel proud for some reason! _This is the summer vacation he's been waiting for, he decided. Not the weird and terrifying trip to Mafia Land, not the swimming classes he had to take from his crazy friends and definitely not the supplementary classes waiting in store for him.

_This, _Tsuna thought with a dreamy smile, _is going to be the best day of my life._

* * *

**High Tide**

* * *

Fiona slammed the stack of papers into the oak desk. "Why," she grit through her teeth, "Why am I here instead of the beach with my friends?"

Hibari barely offered her a glance of acknowledgment, least of all a startle. Something inside her snapped in two at the bare-bone action, a monster screaming to be unleashed. She didn't function well on low appreciation and this guy was offering _none_. The sunny weather just waiting to be exploited didn't make matters easier. "Do you think you can slack off all the time? There's work to be done."

Of course he doesn't care about her basic needs one little bit. Not even so much as a _sorry _for stealing what little was left of her tan. The monster dubbed appreciation roared like an Italian whose mother had been insulted.

She drew herself up to full height one vertebra at a time. "I slacked off _one_ time. And you even gave me the day off yourself!"

"Shows how weak-willed you are. You need more discipline."

This guy. This. Guy. Focus. She tapped her finger impatiently against the wood. "I'm not your secretary." Vongola's top informant reduced to a pretty piece of decoration waiting to pick up his calls and redirect them. _Ha! _The thought alone was repulsive.

"Really," he drawled out. And she'd be damned if she didn't hear the underlying sarcasm, no matter how incapable of applying it he seemed. "Are you mad, Student Council?"

That's it. _Snap. _Stalemate.

Fiona smiled, and it was icy. "You wake me up to do your work, force me into the office when it's summer vacation, and found a new pasttime involving knocking me out and dropping me in random places I don't _ever_ want to wake up in. _Yes_, I'm mad."

He cocked his head to the side. "I drop you off at the nearest house of a Disciplinary Committee member. I don't have the time to drive you all the way to your home."

Fingers splayed on his desk, she leaned forward to meet him eye-to-eye. "How about leaving me conscious while I'm sitting on your bike? That'd make for a nice change."

"You call me on my phone to carry your purchases or because you're too lazy to walk back home. That act alone is punishable."

"But the last time I called I was _really_ lost. And you knocked me one over the head simply because I somehow ended up near Kokuyo City." He was still sensitive when it came to that. "Besides, what use is a motorbike if you don't drive it?"

What a beautifully piercing look that garnered her.

She pointed to her head—a neatly done Rope-Twisted Pinwheel Bun to keep her neck airy in the sweltering weather—and tried to appeal to his better half instead. "Look, I can get some serious brain damage from that. You don't want a drooling idiot representing the Student Council, do you?"

His brows rose. "It depends on whether you're going to talk less in that state."

"Never."

"Too bad." He leaned back into his black chair, stapling his fingers in a drawn-out, languid manner. Her eyes darted down for the briefest of moments, mustering the pale and slender digits. She blinked and forced her eyes back up to find him watching her intently.

Over the past few weeks they had developed a very fragile _something_ between them. It started with the change in name that he kept up with even in everyday situations. For a brief while she'd thought he would only use it rarely, when he was in need of naming the one nuisance between a pack of herbivores. But he almost always added it at least once in any conversation they started.

When students, teachers and prefects alike took notice of this, Fiona knew for sure something had shifted. And it's not her newly acquired aesthetic pleasure with every howsoever small part of his anatomy. Because that boy was looking way too handsome for the work he does, now that she took great time to analyze the subject of her rising interest.

No, the rumor mill started to add the tiny word '_and_' between their names. Nothing lovey-dovey, mind you, simply a slight change at the top of the food chain.

And maybe it didn't reach his ears yet but so far he'd let it slide as if he were alright with it, or perhaps didn't care as much. Which said a lot in her books about respect.

He was still watching her watching him.

Alright, her blatant staring had something to do with the shifting scale as well. But since he's thick-headed, not interested in girls, and/or possibly asexual, she felt the need to openly showcase her curious actions until even he got wind of at least _that_. Now she only had to wait to reap what she sowed.

A little calmer about being stuck at school with the personification of the devil, she eventually chose to give in before he thought the better of it and stopped trying to decipher her looks to instead hit her with a tonfa. Fiona sighed at the stack of papers. "What do you want me to do, Mr. Head Prefect?"

His smirk only grew: both in width and predatory-ness. "That's a better attitude."

She'd snap his pretty fingers in two by the end of the day, mark her words.

* * *

**High Tide**

* * *

_Of course_, Tsuna thought, _things never go down the way I like_.

Ever since Yamamoto didn't manage to round the corner of the island, Tsuna was pretty sure that something terrible was about to happen. He exchanged a glance with Gokudera, watching as the highschooler swam to shore, but still no sight of the sporty Yamamoto.

"Maybe his leg seized up and he's resting on the island?" one of the other two lifeguards offered.

_Like hell!_ everything inside Tsuna screamed. _It's all Reborn's fault again!_

Here he'd thought that he'd spent an enjoyable day at the beach, surrounded by friends and the girl he liked, be able to swim a couple rounds in the sea without drowning and eat some ice cream to cool down afterward. Kyoko-chan's brother Ryohei had invited them since he was working part-time as a lifeguard at the beach. Not that he thought the boxer could save anyone with the weird octopus-like swimming style he got but Tsuna wasn't about to declare that fact _openly_ in front of Kyoko.

From then on everything went downhill fast. Ryohei introduced his lifeguard seniors who were at the same time his senpais in the Boxing Club when he'd joined back in first year. They looked buff, mean and not at all friendly and when they slid their arms around Kyoko and Haru's shoulders, Tsuna wanted to throw up.

When Gokudera, Yamamoto _and_ Ryohei decided to interrupt, things completely escalated. The first two were effective on their own—add Ryohei to the equation and the recepit for disaster was preprogrammed.

Thus they were lined up in a screwed-up swimming race, best of three wins, with the losers being slaves to the winners. And Yamamoto still hadn't reappeared. It was Gokudera's turn now.

"Second up, ready!" Ryohei held out his arm. "Steady!" He placed the whistle to his lips. "Go!"

The shrill marked the beginning of a heated race. Faster and faster Gokudera and the highschooler distanced themselves from the shore, Gokudera keeping up with the taller and better trained boy with ease. "They're tied!" Tsuna exclaimed with a stunned expression. Maybe they could do this after all.

"Go!" Kyoko cheered and her voice had Tsuna's head snap around. "Go, Gokudera!" Haru assisted, screaming her lungs out. With such support, there's no way they could lose, he thought excitedly.

The island swallowed the two participants as they rounded the left corner and left the audience waiting in breathed silence. _Come on_, Tsuna pleaded, eyes peeled to the island's right. Gokudera could win this easily. Movement stirred and he squinted his eyes.

His mouth opened in shock when it was only the highschooler again. "Where's Gokudera?"

"Hm?" The leader, with his high and gaunt cheekbones and the bleached strands, hummed. "Your second member got the cramps, too?"

Tsuna did a double-take. _This is suspicious! How did I let it come to this?!_

* * *

**Low Tide**

* * *

A pleasent silence filled the Reception Room, interrupted only by the scratchy scribble of pens on paper and the turning of pages.

The silence did not hold out for long.

"Seriously, why am I the one doing official paperwork? Working with a dictionary is ineffecient as fu—" Fiona gulped. "Fish fingers." _Hold out a little longer_, she gave herself a mental backrub. Being an informant has always been about being _very_ patient and forthcoming to your prey. Victim. Client. Whatever takes your fancy.

Why Hibari even bothered sticking around, she wasn't certain. Probably to make sure she didn't ditch the work. His eyes skimmed over the text of a new tiny book of his, legs propped up on the table in a mocking reversal of their positions. At least she had managed to hog the comfy couch for herself someplace down their acquaintanceship. He didn't mind it any longer as much as he didn't mind the ominous '_and_'. "You represent this school's Student Council. There is no one more eligible but the headmaster himself."

"Oh, I know that." Fiona curved her pen in another signature, adding her name to the application form. A dart stand for the Summer Festival it was this time. "But _you're_ the native Japanese in this room."

"Your language skills are up to par."

Fiona sent him a wiry smile. "Thank you very much." The dictionary would prove to be a valuable asset in crushing his pretty fingers because he damn well knew that her written vocabulary sucked. At least she expanded her Kanji to _annoying Japanese delinquent_. She couldn't find the word head prefect, not that her variant didn't describe the boy to a T. She could also write _annoying baby with fedora _now because Reborn offered enough incentive to be abhorred, leaving little more than a slip of paper behind saying _Take good care of Namimori while I'm gone _before going off to sizzle in the midday sun without her._  
_

Bastard.

And while anyone listening in on them might draw hostility as the only conclusion to their relationship due to the sharp words and thoughts, this was how Fiona and Hibari conversed _normally_. There was always a power play in display. So long as tonfas weren't involved things could be considered civil. And she simply loved riling him up and testing out her limits.

Ah, there really was a good reason as to why she liked the boy. So wonderfully stubborn and unmovable.

"Daydreaming won't get you far."

A moment of peace, shattered. "You're keeping a very close eye on me, aren't you?" A moment of ingenuity, passing by. She just had a great idea.

He flipped to the next page unsuspecting of her new attack. "Of course."

And Action!

Fiona gasped and the fakeness of the sound drew his attention. "_'Of course'_ he says!" She fanned herself with her hand, trying to ease her labored breathing. He frowned. Maybe she could step up this game of hers after all, plant some seeds inside his head with more than just visuals.

"Kyoya, could it be..." Her eyes met his, finally gaining his inescapable attention, and she widened hers dramatically. "Could it be that you keep me close because you _like_ me?!"

She was no fool to her own shifting attractions. But she _would_ be a fool not to abuse the sparks _blatantly_.

The gray of his eyes paled almost comically but she was quick to fill the gap between them with both words and actions. She was by his table in the blink of an eye, regarding him through a heavy-lidded gaze the complete opposite of the gasping, confused person before. "I wouldn't mind, you know?" Her voice dropped an octave, fingers playing with the end of his tie. "So long as you can live with a more..." she hummed, pursing her lips, tasting the words, "_independent_ woman."

For the next hour Namimori Jr. High became the hunting grounds of one angry head prefect and the Student Council president's jingly laughter of success.

* * *

**Riptide**

* * *

This year's summer vacation was special to Tsuna. It's the first one he spent with friends—it's the first one he remembered having as many people walking in and out of his home at _all_. Over the course of the time since Reborn introduced himself as his home tutor there had been rarely a day that went by eventlessly. A great deal of them ended in lots of explosions. Most of them were definitely crazy.

Sometimes, though, he could barely keep up with the level of crazy going on without getting a major headache.

"Juudaime, do you want seconds?" Gokudera was smacking, spraying rice all over the place.

Ryohei's eyes gleamed like golden stars across the length of the table. "Sawada, this food is extremely good!"

Kyoko slapped his arm in a reprimanding manner. "Mou, brother. Restrain yourself."

A bowl of dried meat made its way over to the siblings. Yamamoto leaned over, grinning. "Senpai, you should try these. They're really tasty!"

Black-and-white, a cow stole the bowl right from the baseballer's hand. "No! Lambo-san wants them!" he screamed, clutching the bowl tightly to his chest.

I-pin sent him a glare. "Lambo need to share!"

Meanwhile something wet hit Tsuna's pant leg and spread. "Hahi! I spilled the bowl, I'm so sorry, Tsuna-san! Sawada-san!" Haru bowed one perfect 90 degrees after the other.

Mom stopped her with a smile and a hand to her shoulder. "No problem, dearie. I still have more soup left." Haru looked ready to burst into tears at the kindness she received.

Tsuna mechanically turned his head towards Reborn, all soup-pants and rice-splattered shirt. "Nobody told me they'd all eat out at my place once we got back from the beach." His eyelids twitched at the irrationality of it all, the constant chatter and bickering not helping in forming any coherent thought. He was torn between trying to enjoy it, after all Kyoko-chan was in his house and it was a kind of success that they'd spent almost all day together with each other, but she was also the one sitting on the complete opposite end of the table and Reborn had goaded her over there on purpose.

At least he was certain of it. Reborn never made things easy for him.

The baby hitman blinked, big, black eyes unphazed. "You saved a poor child from drowning. Of course the winner celebrates victory at home. It's common custody in the Vongola to honor one's deeds in this fashion."

"I'm not in the Mafia!" he screeched. It instantly resorted in Gokudera dropping his plate of food on the table in ear-piercing clattering and another messy spray of food arching through the air. Mostly meat.

"Do you want me to throw the annoying ones out, Juudaime?!"

Tsuna's smile was little more than a line when a chicken leg plonked of his head. Somehow Ryohei had managed to catch one with his chopsticks. Which resulted in a fiery declaration of extreme accuracy of skills. Yamamoto clapped. Lambo stared with wide eyes, completely mesmerized. Gokudera pulled out his dynamite—

HIIIEEE!

—He shouldn't have waited too long with his answer! "Please don't use dynamite inside my house!"

Gokudera paused, eyeing the trio in the back playing with his chicken leg as they tried to teach Lambo how to catch it. "If you say so. The offer still stands, Juudaime."

"Thanks." _I won't need your services any time soon. _Tsuna sighed, rubbing his temples. "At least this way everyone is gathered in one place and we won't have any surprise guests interrupting the meal."

Reborn smirked. Uh-oh. Between the layer of carefree chatter and cutlery the entrance door clicked open and close almost inauspiciously. Tsuna turned to look over his shoulder at the newest—completely unwanted and unplanned—entrees.

"So you gave him the slip in the hallways and planned your counter attack in the Chemistry rooms. Fast thinking, Fisher," Bianchi said in her rich, suave voice.

Fiona nodded. "But he found me when I was in the middle of conocting something and knocked me into the shelves. Can't get the stuff out of my uniform now. I'll need to order a new one again."

"Explains the burn holes, too."

Tsuna stared at Reborn. The baby shrug. "We're all succesfully gathered to the party now."

Tsuna took his sweet time to let the words sink into his system one by one. Then he reacted properly. "_Like hell!_"

Of course, everything went avalanching downhill, slippery slope acting like a speed boost. "S-Sister..." Gokudera groaned before falling to the ground, face a sickly hue of green.

Bianchi's expression faltered and her gaze jumped to her grounded brother in worry. "Hayato! What's gotten in you?" _You_, Tsuna wanted to scream, as she stepped up to the table, hands soothing over her brother's clothes. Meanwhile Gokudera had started frothing at the mouth, which was never a good sign. Touch, Tsuna realized with a sudden dread, only furthered his trauma-induced sickness.

"Woah! I think we should lay him down on the couch," Yamamoto offered upon catching sight of the downed Italian.

"Are you telling me that I'm a bad big sister, Yamamoto Takeshi?" Bianchi's voice was as cool and piercing as ice; a dark, poisonous cloud of anger rising all the way to the ceiling from her crouched form.

Yamamoto gulped. "E-Eh?"

"Oi, Benny!" Ryohei yelled in greeting, completey oblivious to the family drama. He swung his fork up to point at her, roasted beef waggling dangerously about. "Where were you today?! I invited you to the beach but you never came! It was extremely fun!"

Fiona nonchalantly stepped over Gokudera's head and strode across the length of the kitchen to pick out a plate from the shelves. Tsuna's jaw dropped at the carefree display. Had she come over for dinner so often that she already knew her way around his house?! These people are freeloading way too much! "I'm really sorry. Had some work left to do for the upcoming festival. Then Mr. Doesn't-get-a-joke tried to kill me. The usual." Ryohei patted the chair to his right and she sat down where Yamamoto had sat just a moment—wait, where did Yamamoto disappear to?!

"Hahaha, don't rat me out, Tsuna, okay?" Tsuna blinked perplexed—that's Yamamoto's laugh, he was certain of it—before he peeked beneath the tablecloth: the baseballer was currently hiding by his feet. Lambo kept him company as they played war with the food on their plates.

The headache went _poof _and dissipated as sudden as it had arrived. Off to heaven and a long overdue rest from this mess, Tsuna couldn't blame it's reaction. He only wished to have some sort of voice or proof telling him that he's not the only sane one inside the kitchen. Because Reborn was currently poking at Gokudera's ribs in a doctor's coat, not at all looking gentle as he did so. At least Bianchi had managed to drag Gokudera up on the coach in the living room as Yamamoto first suggested.

Fiona's voice interrupted his line of thought. She chewed on some salad. "Besides, I'm coming over to your place tomorrow. Didn't you know?"

Ryohei's eyes went large. "You are?!"

Kyoko-chan nodded in Fiona's stead, simultanously filling up her bowl with a spoonful of rice. "Haru-chan and I are going to teach Fiona-chan how to put on a yukata for the Summer Festival."

A clap resounded through the noise of cutlery. Haru's palms were pressed tight to her cheeks. "I just remembered: I still need to dry my new yukata, hahi!"

"I-pin want to wear yukata, too."

Quickly forgetting her previous issue, Haru smiled brightly at the Chinese baby. "Haru can sew you one in child-size! I have all the materials at home." I-pin beamed, cheeks red from both embarassment and excitement.

"Oi, Bianchi, don't you want some food, too?" Fiona yelled into the living room. The change of topic made Tsuna spin his head around again when something grabbed his ankle. He shrieked in fear but the sound died as quickly as it had come upon the aghast expression on Gokudera's face. He was trying to crawl _out_ of the living room but Bianchi had him in a vice-like grip on_ his_ ankle in turn.

Tsuna gulped. You had to give him points for trying to escape in his current state of mind, no matter how vain it seemed.

Bianchi locked gazes with Fiona. "Can you hold onto him while I get myself something to eat?"

"No probs." Fiona picked up both plate and chopstick and stepped on Gokudera's back. He gasped in pain. Bianchi nodded in affirmation before making a bee-line for the kitchen shelves as well, as familiar with his mother's kitchen as apparently every guest in this house was.

Fiona's eyes were hidden behind the dark of her shades but she bent down—_crunch,_ and another gasp escaped Gokudera—to peek beneath the table. "We should get her a mask or something, shouldn't we?" she asked in Yamamoto's direction, beckoning him to sneak out of his hiding place with a twitch of her elbow.

He nodded once he got up to his feet, stealing a glance in the humming Bianchi's direction. Tsuna's mom had her distracted in a conversation. She stood with a worried expression, watching Bianchi as she filled her plate with different piles of food. "I should have gotten out the foldable tables after all. I'm sorry that we don't have that much space."

"This is just fine, maman," Bianchi calmed her with her suave voice. "There's way too many intruders anyway." Tsuna resisted the urge to bang his head against something at the hypocrisy of the statement._ You're one of them! _"If some of the boys spill some of your delivious food I'll make sure to have them properly punished, don't you worry." _EH?! _Why only the boys?

"That's nice of you!" Mom beamed and clasped her hands together. No, it's not! It's dangerous!

Meanwhile both Fiona and Yamamoto managed to pick up Gokudera by his arms, carefully balancing their own plates of food in the process, and dragged him down the corridor. Tsuna caught Fiona sprinting upstairs in her search for a mask and prayed to god that she wouldn't pry inside his dresser again because she was curious over the question as to how many boxershorts he possessed. Especially not with Haru and Kyoko here...

"A duck pattern? Cute."

"HIE!" Tsuna stormed the stairs up, his tray of food sailing to the ground and Bianchi hot on his trails with poisonous food, ready to punish him. At the rate this was going it's going to be the worst day of his life within the hour! And it had all started so well!

Reborn smirked. "This is a good gathering."

* * *

**A/N:**

**This is so wonderfully random. I think it's more a filler than a full chapter but it's good for easing back in, right? I hope the last part wasn't too confusing! It's difficult to keep track of so many people, especially since they all have strong, prominent personalities and quirks. They push and shove to be in the spotlight. XD Still, I wanted to give it a try!  
**

**After a month of not updating, I've finally returned! Don't think I've given up on this. ;) College ate up more time than I thought and then I took another week off to recuperate. Now my brain is full of ideas again. Next time is the Summer Festival and then starts the Varia Arc! Getting excited already!  
**

**Oh, and if you find typos or generally weird stuff/grammar/whatthehelldidyoujustwrite, feel free to point it out! Didn't proofread this chapter as much as the others so it might sound a little raw around the edges. :)**


	20. Colors

**I don't own ********_Katekyō Hitman Reborn!_****. **

**Hairstyle reference used here: **_Missy Sue_**.**

**Guest Reviews (chronological):**_** (****I love responding to reviews. It's really fun. :D Feel free to say whatever is on your mind!)**_

_Guest_ _1:_** I'm glad you enjoyed it! And yes, Fiona can be the worst tease on earth. Just as she can become the worst banshee to cross your path should you ever cut her hair. Or destroy precious sunglasses. And if you liked last chapter's teasing, well... ;)**

_Guest 2:_ **Twisted eccentrics are awesome. 'nuff said. And wow, your attention to detail is amazing! I'm glad you stuck around reading this. It's good to hear that I haven't gone completely bonkers with the OC in a way that's making her the center of attention. Canon events I can manage (mostly) but everything else gets placed on a very critical scale! Don't you dare go freeloading all on your own, you hear me, girl?!**

_Eyeye__:_ **You reviewed on Ch. 3 but since I don't know how fast you read, I'll just drop my response here! One day you'll get to read it for sure! :p Thanks for the kind words. I'm like, doing a weird wobbly Kraken dance of happiness with my arms (Chopper anyone?) because you said it's so similar to the actual Daily Life arc. Biiig compliment, so really, thanks!**

* * *

** Target XIX: Colors  
**

**. . .**

**19:00**

* * *

Fiona watched the scene before her unfold with mild interest. "Is there anything you're _not_ controlling in this city?"

It was late afternoon, close to sunset, and the preparations on the fireworks display of the Summer Festival were in high spirits. There were three elderly technicians working the pyrotechnics and roughly ten prefects lending a hand, with another five guarding the perimeter. Because _why not. _It's a dictatorship.

Hibari smirked, arms crossed over his chest. "No."

"Show-off."

What had once started as a tug-of-war in terms of strength and a series of underhanded compromises had slowly become a brittle if lethal form of acquaintanceship. Both the Student Council and the Disciplinary Committee had come to terms with one another and the benefits of a mutual cooperation outweighed the annoyance that Benivieni Fiona could unleash on a daily basis. She took pride in the fact that she could outplay anyone. On her own. Take that.

The benefits to this deal were of simplistic nature: Fiona came to like misusing the prefects for their muscle power whenever she went out shopping and had bags to carry. She also liked using Hibari's motorcycle now that she knew he owned one even though he was adamantly opposed to the idea and unleashed hell upon her the moment she snuck on or called him to pick her up.

Hibari in turn found a great deal of use for her involving lots of paperwork (mainly his), sparring (running for her life), and cleaning up the bloodbaths he left in his wake that did not involve her likeness approaching his bike. Of course there's the once-in-a-lifetime special occasion in which he used her abilities as they were intended. Such as when Mukuro was on the loose, or when Vrana came by to visit.

Today turned out to be another one of those rare days. She was getting excited already.

"Summer is the season with the highest spike in thievery. Unsuspecting tourists make for easy prey while crowded places become the perfect hunting ground for pickpockets." Fiona corrected the shades on her nose in the fashion of a librarian. "You have a problem with varmints, Mr. Head Prefect?"

Hibari sent her a sharp look. "Could it be yours?"

"I'm keeping tabs on Vrana's every border crossing. She's currently in Rome." Finally she was free of those freeloading crows. And it had nothing to do with the fact that she pressured Alessio via telephone terror to ship them back to Italy _immediately_. They were nothing but trouble to her, her hair, her fridge, and the general sanitary situation at home. She was also missing a couple expensive gems on a necklace.

She simply had to draw a line _somewhere_.

"Hn." Hibari returned to observing the preparations on the fireworks. "Then we have another herbivore trying to outrun its predator."

Fiona jut her chin forward. "Not nearly as successful as I am in that regard." She danced out of reach of the lazy attack the head prefect threw at her. That action only helped prove her point. "Can I have a break now and enjoy myself?" she asked, nodding in the direction of the festival below. "I didn't even have the time to change into my yukata yet."

"You didn't do enough work to justify a break."

"I can't do paperwork when there's none."

"Too bad." Hibari pointed at one of his prefects and beckoned him over. She recognized Kusakabe immediately, telltale culm rolling across the length of his lips. "You will be patrolling the grounds in search of suspicious behavior."

Fiona stiffened. "Oh, come on. Show some mercy. All I ever see of Japanese culture is the delinquent side."

The next look he sent her promised murder and mayhem. "Are you complaining?"

Mingling with the crowd looked different. But she'd been through enough chevies to have learned not to argue with that certain shade of bloodthirsty in his eyes. It's supposed to be a festive day. She was gonna crack his tough shell one day for sure. Maybe today. He might just have a soft spot for festivities, who knows?

Therefore, in the name of newfound mutual cooperation, "Under one condition," she said with a stern voice. Hibari rose a brow but didn't respond negatively.

She grinned. "I get 30% finder's fee—can't you take a joke?!"

Kusakabe merely shook his head as the Italian dodged the first hit of a tonfa. Sometimes he wondered if it's just her own peculiar way of showing fondness or simply the case of a cracked skull. He generally tended towards the latter.

* * *

**20:05**

* * *

"The stuff all these street vendors have looks delicious! Lambo-san's gonna eat a ton!"

With that Lambo took off with a sprint. Infected by his rashness, I-pin immediately chased after him. "I-pin going to eat, too!" she yelled over her shoulder, squeaky voice cracking and tripping over the Japanese syllables.

Tsuna cupped his hands around his mouth. "No more than 300 yen for each of you!" They nodded before the crowd swallowed them whole. Tsuna smiled ruefully. He wished he could've come to the festival with Kyoko. Instead he had to babysit those two for the duration of the Summer Festival. The atmosphere was one of a kind.

The streets were abuzz with people; sky a startling purple that's not quite nightfall yet, with a sliver of sunlight remaining on the horizon. Paper lanterns illuminated the ground, casting a warm light on rows after rows of colorful stands, and all kinds of smells mingled in the air, from the faint fragrance of flower and perfume to the spicy richness of food.

Tsuna sighed. He really wished Kyoko were here with him. They'd spent a great deal of time together over the summer and he was growing lonely without her around.

Excited murmurs to his right grabbed his attention where a crowd had gathered around a stand, dispersing his wistful thinking. "Oh, he got five at once!" _The shooting range_, Tsuna managed to read from the sign. His eyes then wandered lower, searching for the source of the evening commotion.

Wearing a miniature blue kimono and cocking his gun before reloading was no other than... "Reborn?!"

The baby hitman took aim and shot the moment he exhaled, expression blank even as the bullet ricocheted off one target to another, hitting at least twelve prizes in the process. No, he only smiled once the show was over, tapping his small foot on the counter. "Wrap it all up."

"This can't be happening!" The vendor exclaimed, completely petrified. Then he fell to the ground, boneless. "And just yesterday all my sales were stolen by that pickpocket going around. What am I supposed to do?!"

A friendly women from a nearby store watched the scene unfold with a sad expression on her reddened face. "Your store was hit too? Mine as well!"

Then, somehow, events turned even weirder as the two of them embraced and started crying out their sorrows together. In the middle of the street. That's just pitiful!

Deciding it the best course, Tsuna turned to walk away from the dramatic scene. It's not like Reborn had a trait called guilty conscience. He'd get his prizes no matter what. _Pretend I don't know him, pretend I don't know him..._

Something tugged at his shorts just as he was about to escape. It was I-pin, gushing out an undecipherable gibberish in the speed of her excitement. Tsuna squinted to understand her. "You found something you wanted?" he half-guessed. She nodded, pointing at a stand further down the street. "Chocolate bananas?" Well, that didn't sound too bad. Nor dangerous to his health. Reborn wouldn't bother with something as bland as buying food in his quest of ruining people's lives, right?

He walked up to the stand. "May I have one choco banana, please?"

"Alright," a friendly young male answered from the dephts of the store. "Once we get an order we dip the banana in French chocolate!"

A different, more gruff voice interrupted the previous one with a snarl. "No, I said it's from Belgium!" Gokudera turned to scowl at Tsuna, choco banana in his hand, cigarette dangling carelessly from his lips. "Here you go."

There was a moment of pause before the realization sunk in and both teens gaped at each other. "J-Juudaime!"

"Gokudera-kun and Yamamoto!"

His classmates quickly recovered from their initial shock and their expressions molded into warm smiles. "Don't surprise us like that!"

That's what he wanted to say! Those two together, semi-peaceful for once, selling chocolate bananas out of all things... "What are you doing here?!"

"Haven't you heard?" Gokudera looked genuinely surprised.

Tsuna had a bad feeling already. "No, I haven't..."

"He wouldn't have come if I told him."

And that's the sound of Reborn's conspiratorial baby voice right there. The one person he wanted to avoid tonight. It would've been too easy, seeing as he's a hitman home tutor, but one could hope, right?

His brows rose to his hairline when he noticed that the person next to Reborn was no other than Fuuta. "Fuuta, you're here, too?" He usually only stayed with the girls. After the whole incident with Mukuro Fuuta had gone back to Italy very briefly, for reasons Tsuna wasn't quite sure. These days, though, he was a permanent resident in Namimori, specifically his house.

Reborn took reign over the conversation. "We received the right to set up shop from both the Committee as well as Student Council." Tsuna's lips twitched. Of course. Now that they actually had a functional Student Council, the Disciplinary Committee needed to go through proper procedures like every other Club at school instead of doing whatever they liked. In a way Fiona acted as a puffer to the rest of the student body, albeit a very thin one. One that is prone to pulling people _into_ the mess instead of out.

Fuuta picked up where Reborn stopped. "And according to my rankings, the No. 1 seller in this festival for the last 5 years has been the chocolate banana stand." He beamed and Tsuna had to resist the urge to pat him on the head. Sometimes Fuuta had the remarkable resemblance to a bunny.

"Our goal is to sell 500 bananas!" Gokudera interrupted. "Let's work hard, Tenth!"

_Let's work hard...? **Let's...**_ "EH! Me, too?!"

* * *

**22:00**

* * *

Fiona was sulking. Sort of. "At this rate we'll never find the robbers. Why the hell are we the only two people on the lookout for them? This is not ressource-efficient." She accepted the takoyaki from the vendor with a quick bow of her head before turning around to her glorious company aka only patrol partner: Kusakabe Tetsuya.

He drew a hand over his face and took a deep breath. "If you want to find them so much, how about you actually start _looking_ for them instead of stopping by every stand in existence?"

Fiona picked up one of the meatballs and started munching. "Experiencing Japanese culture. You think I only came to Namimori for work?" she hummed between chewing. Well, technically she did but he needn't know that. "What time is it again?"

"It's _still_ only 10 o'clock. Why are you so impatient?"

"I don't wanna be stuck patrolling all night long," she whined and put her best effort into the pout.

Apparently it wasn't too effective on him. Kusakabe mustered her from head to toe. "You have a date tonight or something?" He nodded at her choice of clothing.

Like a flower in mid-spring she suddenly blossomed under his words and a grin slipped onto her face unwillingly. Fiona pushed her sunglasses up her head. "What, can't I look pretty simply because I want to?" She took the opportunity to flaunt her yukata with a twirl of her body. The smooth silk fluttered dramatically, warm grass green surface speckled with cinnamon and gold flower patterns. It perfectly brought out the shine of her eyes (when she wasn't wearing shades, of course).

Simply put: the best investment ever since coming to Namimori.

Top it off with a maddening, arm-breaking, redone thrice to make it look good, Double Dutch Fishtail Updo, and she was looking the prime of her youth and beauty. Kumiko had helped a great deal, holding up mirrors and smiling her wise old woman smile while sporting a perfect beehive hairstyle herself. That woman knew how to look fantastic despite her age. Fiona felt herself in good hands.

Kusakabe nodded, dark eyes uncaring in his chiseled face. He still wore the usual Committee Black. "You're sticking out worse than my uniform."

Well, that's half the point of it. With him (sort of) complimenting her, she was all playful once more. "You're just jealous I'm getting all the stares." Kusakabe took a step back when she let out a sweet, girlish chuckle _completely_ unlike her.

"Stop that."

"Never." From the corner of her eyes she caught a young Japanese stealing glances at her. She winked at him and he grinned. Kusakabe pulled her away by her shoulder.

"Again, we're supposed to _catch_ the thieves in action, not flirt with every passersby we come across."

She threw him a cool look. "It's not '_we_' when I'm the one doing all the flirting." Fiona pulled out a wad of money from the inside of her yukata, waving it in front of his face. "I charmed 65,000 yen off that vendor's face as lot fee." She pocketed the money away again. "I'm a productive member of society."

"Yeah, only that the guy has already paid his lot fee and you're not supposed to disrupt Hibari-san's work." He glared at the takoyaki box in her hand. "That is property of the Disciplinary Committee you're playing with."

"Don't forget that the documents are signed by me now. Besides, I asked you two times if you wanted some takoyaki yourself."

The culm between his lips twitched in something akin to annoyance but he hid it fairly well. "That's not the issue here. Get your priorities straight or Hibari-san will kill you one day for sure."

With a sweet—_much too sweet_—smile she hooked arms with the vice-prefect. "Nah, he won't. I've heard worse threats than death and since tonight is a night to celebrate, let's do just that, shall we?"

"Thieves. No celebration."

"Semantics! What time is it again?"

Kusakabe groaned.

* * *

**22:15**

* * *

They had barely gotten into the selling when Reborn raised his hand to tell the boys something. "Don't forget to prepare the lot fee." Tsuna was still miffed over how he was forced to work. At least it saved him the trouble of babysitting. But even he was surprised over the news: what lot fee?

Gokudera chimed in in response. "It seems to be a Namimori tradition to pay the guys running this area." Are they stepping foot into the underbelly of Namimori here? Who has to pay a lot fee in this day and age?

Then he felt a dark presence and hushed murmurs starting up behind his back and he gulped, thought process dissipating like a popped balloon. _He's here...! _He could make out some of the words but none of them helped to calm him down. "That's—" and "You shouldn't associate with him." Actually quite the opposite!

"50,000 yen." Tsuna startled and spun around to face—

"HIE! H-Hibari-san!" He almost jumped into the displayed bananas. Of course it had to be none other than Hibari Kyoya. As if being in the same school with that guy wasn't enough pressure already.

His eyes drilled into Tsuna's and inadvertedly, Tsuna shrunk back. He really wanted to be a hedgehog all of a sudden, just to be able to curl up and roll away.

"You!" Gokudera snarled, one leg propped on the table. Tsuna instantly panicked. _Please don't provoke him any further!_ "What are you doing here?!" _Of course he's provoking him!_

"_I'm_ just a lovely item trying to lift some black clouds," Fiona answered with a blank expression, popping out of Hibari's shadow. Tsuna let ouf a breath of relief. They were safe! "Not an easy job, I tell you. His expression is cut in marble."

Judging from the fierce look in Hibari's eyes—no, they were _definitely_ not safe. Maybe even less so with Fiona around. Hibird fluttered from Hibari's head to his shoulder and Fiona blinked at the bird looking her way. She looked totally unperturbed by the tonfa lingering over her throat. "Alright, the truth is that I got caught messing around when I should be patroling the grounds in search of robbers."

_Are you completely out of your mind, Fiona-san?!_

"Don't forget the unauthorized lot fees you collected for your own pleasure." Hibari mustered her. "Detention. All summer long."

"I was trying to destroy the evidence but there's only so much takoyaki I can buy _and_ eat." She sighed and pulled down her shades. Why she was even wearing them in pitch-black dark, he wasn't certain. "Detention isn't so bad. I can just nap on your comfy couch."

"If I catch you napping I will bite you to death."

"Feisty—" She ducked when the tonfa sailed down on her, "—aw, come on. It's just another joke, you should be used to them."

Tsuna was close wailing his eyes out. He was only surrounded by crazy people, and the ones that were supposed to be safest proved to be the most volatile ones. Somebody save him!

Yamamoto's eyes widened in understanding. "Don't tell me—"

And even Tsuna got the gist of it, now that he noticed that the two of them hadn't moved away. Instead they looked at the trio and Reborn with an eager expression. "The placement fee goes to the Disciplinary Committee?" he asked just to make sure he wasn't seeing things.

Hibari's eyes turned almost blue-gray. Tsuna wasn't sure whether it was a good or bad sign. "It's for our activity fund. If you can't pay it," Hibari smirked, "I'll crush your stand."

A terrified scream tore through the crowded night. When they turned to the source of it, Tsuna saw, much to his dread, no less than four Disciplinary Committee prefects ganging up on a vendor, thrashing the stand behind him into a thousand pieces. _It's seriously being crushed!_

"Watch the toilets next to that stand!" Fiona yelled through cupped hands. "I have to re-apply my make-up soon and that's the only place with a mirror!"

Tsuna all but doubled over. _Get your priorities straight!_

Grudgingly, Yamamoto and Gokudera handed the money over. Hibari took his time to count the bills. "Thanks," he said. And they could all hear the underlying gratification in his voice.

They watched the duo disappear back into the crowd. "When I get my hands on that guy...!" Gokudera trembled.

_Better not_, Tsuna thought, feeling more exhausted than he should be. _Let's just leave him to Fiona-san._

* * *

**23:25**

* * *

"What time is it?"

Hibari's glare was adamantine. The crowding was getting to his nerves but the prospect of discipline and punishment kept him going. Maybe he was just more greedy than she anticipated, who knew? "You're walking a very thin line, Student Council."

She took off the sunglasses and secured them on her head. The purse he had given her for her job as walking, talking safe hung heavy on her hips. That's a lot of money he entrusted her. She was just going to have to be very straightforward about this then. "If we're not done by 11:30 I will take a break and go my own way. Just a warning."

"No," he answered, eyes sweeping over the crowds. In the distance another shop was decimated to its pieces and sent back to tree ancestry. "I would catch you with ease."

Point taken. He kept a brisk pace. If she'd known how difficult it'd be to walk in a yukata, she'd have stuck to a classy evening dress. The kind with the hip-high cut for some good ole side leg view. Instead, the tiny steps she was forced to take killed her, and Hibari only made the matter worse, long legs of his be damned. At least Kusakabe, the traitor, was nice enough to match her pace. "Touché. This outfit won't do me much good in an escape attempt."

"You were told to wear something appropriate."

"I'm mingling with the crowd. Therefore I did as I was told."

He shot her a sharp glance. "You're only attracting herbivores."

Fiona grinned. It was too good a chance to pass. "Now that's a compliment if I've ever heard one from you."

"I don't _need_ any more herbivores crowding around me."

Oh dear. Hook, line and sinker. "You should really just say you like me. Although a little possessiveness is kinda cute, too."

His tonfa by her neck, his body followed the path of his weapon closely. At this proximity she could breathe in his distinctive scent even among the myriad of people surrounding them. It was intoxicating to be so close to danger. "Are you sprouting that nonsense again?" His eyes slid to slits.

Fiona smirked but never backed down. "You're taking it too seriously. Someone might misread your reaction." He took his time staring her down, eyes darting over her features. One day she was just going to lean in and—_uh-oh, tonfa aiming for her collar bone—!_ "Not the yukata, it's expensive!" she intervened, backing away to the best of her abilities. Which wasn't much because he was still putting down pressure, and she was vehemently trying to save her pretty piece of cloth.

Things turned into real awkward angles as she was little more than a hostage under his tonfa. "Keep your tongue in check."

She rolled her eyes. He only ever withdrew the tonfa when he was certain she wouldn't buck again. "Of course." The tonfa hesitated. He sensed the_ but _in her movement. Very perceptive. "Remember what I said about mingling? It raises our chance of catching the robbers when they least expect it."

Hibari pulled back, slowly. Funny how he lost most of his frustration over crowding in favor of focusing his attention (and anger) on her. "Your suggestion being?"

It was probably going to cost her her head but she closed the distance between them with a single step. Her arm snuck around his. "Let's try mingling together! They won't notice us coming because they think we're just another lovey-dovey couple—"

Hibari shoved her away like an insect. "Keep watching," he snarled, glaring, before picking up his pace again. Fiona stared at his retreating back.

She still had her head.

Damn, she really shouldn't be this happy about it.

Suddenly, her eyes caught movement from the side and she stopped dead in her tracks, needless thoughts brushed away for the moment. "Hey," she started and pointed a finger into the alley of stands to her right. Hibari looked at her from over his shoulder. "Someone is chasing another person." She followed the two blurry shades as they ascended the stairs.

Hibari was next to her in the blink of an eye, expression in equal shares bloodthirsty and excited. "Namimori Shrine."

"We're running, aren't we?"

"Keep up, Student Council. Or detention will be extended."

Sometimes karma really was a bitch.

They ran, more or less gracefully, through the throng of people, Hibari courteously shoving away those that stood in his path. Fiona had to jump over the casualties in order to catch up to the head prefect. By the time they reached the top of the stairs, Fiona was ready to file a complaint about missing escalators.

The scene unfolding before them wasn't the fairest: in front of the medium-sized shrine stood a large mob of youngsters. Hooligans more likely, judging from their scruffy appearance. And right in front of them was none other than Tsuna, trembling from head to toe.

That boy really knew how to find himself trouble. That, or Reborn was behind it again.

"I've been waiting for this moment!" a large boy yelled in Tsuna's face. The right side of his was hidden behind a giant plaster. He pulled out a switchblade. "I'll make sure—"

It was that moment Hibari chose to strike down one of the guys closest to him. His victim screamed in agony that all heads spun around.

Hibari was radiating unhealthy excitement. "I'm so happy, I'm trembling." He stepped over the body and into the circle of mobsters. Oh, great, just waltz into a disadvantageous position yourself. She was not going to do the same, thank you very much. "It turns out to be the group of robbers we were after the whole night. Well spotted, Student Council," he said in her direction.

Fiona froze when all eyes snapped from him to her. _Don't draw attention to me, you jerk!_

"Hibari-san and Fiona-san!" Tsuna exclaimed, relief and unadultered happiness crossing his features. "You're both here!" And the next one draws attention, great.

She picked up a pebble and stepped back to stand next to a nearby tree. Then she out her phone from her yukata to check on the time herself for once. Let's do this as straightforward as possible again. "It's 11:30. I will take my break and withdraw from this fight."

"EH?!" Tsuna screamed perplexed.

Hibari's tonfa was right by her neck. "No, you don't. Someone has to clean up this mess."

"EEEEH?!" Tsuna let out a scream on the terrified side of things this time around.

"Who the hell are they?!" one of the gruff guys asked.

Infamy carried the head prefect a long way it seemed. Whoever spoke up in response almost choked on his own words. "That guy's from the Disciplinary Committee of Namimori Jr. High!" Now she only had to find a way to leave the scene without getting her yukata dirty.

"Isn't that girl the infamous Namimori Ogress—_gah!_"

Well, _that_, or she could just throw a pebble into someone's face. The boy slumped to the ground. "Wrong nickname." Her voice dripped dark, sweet menace.

She could practically read Tsuna's thoughts written on his face: _Are they really here to save me?_

Yeah, sure. But first, she had a reputation to fix.

"This saves me the trouble of having to collect money from several different people. We, the Disciplinary Committee, will take all the money you stole."

Alright, apparently even Hibari had a different motive. Tsuna's face derailed almost comically. "So, what are we going to do about this?" Fiona asked jovially when the circle closed all around them. They were outnumbered at least 9:1. "A finder's fee would really motivate me to fight, you know?"

"No need to go easy on them!" the one with the switchblade yelled. _Pattern: Weak leader. ___Too many subordinates. _Stands in the second row to shout his orders. _Ah, she was easing back into her own rhythm. "Kill off even that messed-up kid!" _Extreme reaction to hostility. __Pride compromised? _

"Really, Tsuna, what did you _do_ to that guy?" Fiona asked as she loosened the sash on her yukata. Even informants come into fighting situation every once in a while. It's good to sharpen one's skills regularly.

"I—that time on the beach—" A glint coming from the woods caught his attention. Before anyone could make a move Tsuna was shot in the head. Fiona made out the faint silhoutte of a baby in one of the trees. She had never seen the Dying Will Bullet up close before—

"REBORN!" Tsuna's clothes tore until all he was left with were his boxers. A bright flame burned at the point of impact. "Fight as if I were to die!"

—It was a good thing she hadn't. Dying Will Nude is _so_ not trending.

An explosion rocked the ground beneath their feet and Fiona couldn't help but grin. That baby sure knew how to time everyone's entrance. "Tenth!" Gokudera exclaimed, cigarette dangling from his lips and dynamite sticks at the ready. There was a dangerous glint to his eyes.

Yamamoto smiled, a sharp, merciless smile. "The supporters have arrived."

The leader took a step back. She was the closest to him. "Annoying brats," he muttered. _Come a little closer, _she chanted inwardly, _and I'll show you annoying._

"It's the first time battling with Hibari," Reborn squeaked, waving a tiny arm from the tree branch he was sitting on. So he really did have an ulterior motive. There's always something in the works in that tiny hitman's brain, isn't there?

Hibari didn't look pleased with the news, though. "No way." And then, with a look in her direction, "The money that was stolen will go to me."

"Finder's fee," Fiona hummed. "We're working together now."

"I won't give it to you!" Dying Will Tsuna yelled.

"Obviously," Gokudera added.

And then the battle was on.

* * *

**23:53**

* * *

Fiona drew out her pocket mirror and inspected her hair and face. "Not bad." The person beneath her made a disturbing sound when her sandals squished his lungs in just the right place. "Waterproof make-up does make a difference."

Hibari picked up the money the highschoolers had managed to steal over the course of the festivities. There were quite a number wads neatly stashed away in a linen bag. He threw the blood-speckled bag in her direction. She managed to catch it with her fingertips. "I sure hope I get some of this."

"I'm watching you," he answered simply. His frustration had evened out, now that he had fought and wrapped up the problems plaguing the festival. One of his cheeks was bruised from when a group of four had tackled him. Suffice to say that they came out of the endeavor much worse to wear than the head prefect did.

Tsuna twitched when Hibari approached him. The trio looked completely trashed. Bruises aligned with cuts, and more than half a dozen would probably take weeks to heal. Still, even with the Dying Will Flame dissipating, Tsuna threw himself over the cash register of his store. "I won't let you take this money!"

Fiona exchanged looks with Reborn. The baby had stepped down from his vantage point to closely inspect the level of carnage the group had inflicted. The Dying Will Flame was a sight to behold, even with its clothing-less downside. "I already called in a team for cleanup," she said in the hitman's direction and stepped down from her victim.

"That's to be expected. Otherwise I would've forced you to do it with your own hands."

"Aren't you the nicest boss I ever had."

Tsuna winced when the flame extinguished completely, but he stayed his ground even as Hibari loomed over him. "W-We worked together to earn this. I can't let you take it!"

Gokudera stepped up to protect the Tenth, altough the sight was a pitiful one; his shirt in tatters from countless explosions, one could see the skin beneath ranging in colors from red to blue to yellow. "That's right!" he huffed. "You'll have to get past us to take the money!"

Fiona's expression softened. How very loyal.

Yamamoto followed the bomber's example. "That's just the way it is!"

Hibari didn't look as if he cared. Her mind raced to find a good excuse to draw his attention away from the battered boys. "Hey, Elvis Enterprise earned more than—_oh._"

Fiona stopped dead in her tracks when she felt the cool sharpness of a knife to her neck.

"Fiona-san!" Tsuna exclaimed in horror. The others spun around, dynamite and baseball bat and tonfas drawn.

Sweat and blood. "Give me the money and nothing will happen to her. Are we clear?" Something soft pressed into her cheek and she recognized it as the plaster on the Leader of the hooligans. She asked for a distraction, not for someone to ruin her face. The boys didn't move. Reborn simply watched. The Leader's free hand fumbled for the linen bag she had on her.

Fiona rolled her eyes. "You really took the worst person hostage." Her hand shot out around his wrist with the knife, twisted it away, and with a quick twirl she was facing him. "I don't fear death."

Then she kneed him right where the sun don't shine.

He fell to the ground before her feet, groaning. Fiona turned to the boys, arms akimbo. "Really, the damsel in distress has to save herself? You guys have a long way to go."

Tsuna laughed, albeit very shakily. Yamamoto rubbed the back of his head in sheepish relief and Gokudera cursed under his breath. Hibari's gaze didn't leave her.

Fiona was witness to a miracle. Hibari sheathed his tonfas and turned to leave. "In that case, consider us even now," he said as he left the battleground. They stared at his retreating back. What the?

_Oh._ Of course.

"Hey," Reborn started, baby eyes looking at her. "I called Fuuta and the girls over. You going to stay?"

Bidding Tsuna and the guys barely a good-bye, she shook her head. Her mind was occupied processing what had just transpired. "Nah," she said before disappearing into the dark forest, making a wide berth around Fuuta as he climbed the stairs to the temple. And it had been the best secret spot to watch the fireworks, as well. What a bummer.

Besides, there was someplace else she wanted to be right now.

They were so different. One sought out battles, the other tried to avoid them. Silence versus talkativeness. Straightforward instead of dodgy. Their difference was even reflected in their appearance: where he was achromatic she was full of colors.

Fiona caught up to Hibari with a few quick strides, straightening the ends of her yukata with well-placed tugs. "I didn't think you guys were the romantic kind," she greeted upon spotting the throng of black around a corner; black hair, black uniforms. Black eyes, as Kusakabe rose his brows in surprise.

"You left the herbivores. Didn't you ask for a break?" Hibari asked without looking at her.

She raised the purse as well as the linen bag she'd been carrying with her all the time. "You forgot something. It's heavy. I'm tired. Couscous, what time is it?"

"Again?!"

But it was then the fireworks started and her eyes were immediately drawn to the night sky. She ceased every movement as all sounds around her drowned but for the low thrum of rockets racing the stars. Colors, as far as the eyes could see. Vivid, crazy, brilliant _colors_.

"It's only fireworks," Hibari said. He leaned against a stand a few feet behind his men. Achromatic in his black-and-white features. His skin was porcelain, eyes gray.

She hummed as she joined him. "Fireworks remind me of my birthdays back at home. I didn't get to celebrate it this year." Growing up in the Mafia kills most bigoted prejudices. She had worked with and experienced all sorts of people and cultures. Still, she always imagined that she'd go for the flashy guy, similar to herself. Funny, handsome, taller than her. "I'm born on New Year's Day. Well, sort of," she grinned.

Hibari Kyouya didn't joke around. His features were good-looking in a sharp, unusual way. He was barely a finger's breadth taller. "Sort of?"

He couldn't intervene when one of his school's students—the Student Council, whatever he saw her as—was threatened with a knife. Because he couldn't he was stuck with a debt. And he chose to repay the debt by letting those go that she cared about. This guy was funny in his own way.

But if there was one thing Fiona valued above all, it was trust. "I fell from the sky, strapped to the back of a fireworks rocket." She never spied on Gavran's paychecks, never compromised Alessio's work. She could double-deal with ease but she always, _clearly_, knew where her loyalties lay. That's why Reborn trusted her. That's why she was reinstated. That's why she couldn't tell Vrana anything about the death of her brother yet.

She was still working to restore the trust lost in that fateful night.

When Hibari shot her a deadpan '_stop joking around_' look, she laughed. Because of his straightforward manner, his pride in his fighting abilities, and his irritation when something of his was challenged, he had slowly become the number one person she could trust; he was loyal to himself first and foremost. She had hesitated before, played around a little in curiosity. She came to Namimori for something else initially. But in her constantly shifting and changing world of information, he promised to be a fixpoint that would never change.

And that she could live with.

On impulse she leaned forward. He didn't back away, just as she never did. The fireworks cast a mosaic in the gray of his eyes. He was truly strong, invariant, where she was as mutable as the need arose. Achromatic where she was full of colors. She only had to take the first step.

"I'm not sprouting nonsense," she heard herself say. "And eventually you'll come to terms with it."

Then her lips pressed into his and for a single moment they lit up together, bright and vivid, two speckles of color against the dark surrounding them.

* * *

**.**

**.**

**.**

**A/N:**

**Well, now I've done it! Oh crap! I really didn't want to (at least that was the plan for the first _three_ drafts) but I somehow ended up with Fiona taking a more, uh, direct approach in teasing. This was very fiddly to write. At least the Varia arc is more straightforward. That makes things easier.  
**

**Now that I've probably turned all brains to mush, is anyone still curious about Fiona's secretive birth(day)? Any speculations?  
**

**Stay tuned! :)  
**

* * *

**Extended Cut**

* * *

_Benivieni Alessio steps out on the balcony of his house. It's close to midnight. He spots premature rockets lighting up the sky, and for the past hour the booming firecrackers echo through the forest surrounding his solitary home. _

_It's going to be a quiet New Year for him this time, but he's content with that. _

_The forger sighs as he uncorks the bottle of wine. Champagne fits the loud and brash New Year's parties the Vongola is prone to throw. When he's on his own, he prefers wine as company. These days all he's been doing is running around. He's barely had a Christmas due to the amount of work piling up on his desk, not that he cares about holidays as much as others do. _

_That brat, Tamino, has been a great help. Young but promising. Alessio smiles. The kid may be orphaned but he's drawn the better end of the New Year's deal, hanging around the Vongola's Reconnaissance Branch this year. He isn't envious per se. He sees and hears enough of them to last him a lifetime. They're a constantly squabbling bunch._

_But it's good for children not to grow up alone._

_His watch beeps and the fireworks start. Hundreds of rockets shoot out into the sky in a race of colors. They fall like shooting stars when they burst, drawing an intricate pattern over their dark canvas._

_"Happy New Year," he mutters with a smirk and pours himself a glass of wine._

_In the single second he's looked away, the lights in his garden spring to life, activated by the motion sensor. He almost drops the bottle when he draws his handgun. It can't be a burglar. The whole alarm system would've blared the moment something stepped out of the woods. Some call him paranoid but he finds precautious the better term._

_A particularly loud rocket explodes in the distance and he hears a startled sound beneath him. Leaning over the balcony he finds himself confronted with a most peculiar sight._

_It's a little child._

_She draws the blanket close around her shoulder. Dishevelled blond hair falls in long waves to the small of her back, and he thinks he can make out green eyes in the bright light. She doesn't move, nor does she notice him. Her eyes are drawn to the sky and its colors. It's not the look of a stray. She's clean and her features don't look as bony as those of other street urchins._

_"Hey," he calls out and hides his weapon from view. She startles and looks up at him. For the first time the light shines in just the right angle at her. Green eyes. A rich, brilliant green. "Where did you come from?"_

_For a moment she hesitates, as if she's unsure what he asks of her. The high-pitched soar of another rocket catches her attention. She ignores his question and smiles at the colors in the sky instead._

_Alessio sighs and gulps down the wine in his glass before he heads down. So much for a quiet New Year._


	21. The Foreboding of a Coming Storm

**I don't own ********_Katekyō Hitman Reborn!_****.**

**Guest Reviews:**

_Guest:_** *bows* I humbly thank you.**

_Reaper Senpai:_ **Yeah, he is gonna kill her. Sort of. I don't know what came over me. IT TOOK US 20 CHAPTERS TO EVEN GET HERE AND HE'S GONNA KILL HER.**

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**I'm glad you like the Daily Life chapters so much. They're the most fun to write, that's for sure! And half the reason I love this series so much. Everyone is so damn eccentric. And uh, I hope you resurrected by the time you're reading this. I need you, you know?! There's bound to be more!**

_Caecus: _**Oh my. I think I may have lost it at your words. ****I can't stop grinning. You've praised me too much!** **I'm _so_ happy about the fact that I managed to surprise you that I'm now too nervous about disappointing you with this chapter instead. Let's hope I did well.**

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**Guest Reviews ******– The End****.

**Thank you all for reviewing and generally sticking around this story. Seriously, you're the best. Yeah, you. The one reading this. Hello there. :)  
**

**Onto the chapter!**

* * *

** Target XX: The Foreboding of a Coming Storm**

* * *

Once upon a time there was a misunderstanding—a miscommunication, to be precise. In and of itself nothing unusual as it happens all the time but this one was special. It occured between two informants that are considered to be very close. A duo that is best known for bypassing any kind of security. No, we're not talking about hacking, that's Johnny Numbers' area of expertise. We're talking about forging identities and acting them out in the flesh.

Yes, to the rising whispers of disbelief in the backgrounds, we're talking about Benivieni Alessio and Benivieni Fiona. Sit down and listen, this is important.

There came a time in which Benivieni Fiona went to Siberia under orders—and fake identities—of the only person she'll probably ever take direct orders from: _Maestro_ Alessio. A needlessly snooty and fancy name he's got there. Fiona might also just be a little prickly since she only got the epithet _Fisher _when she was all but rowing a boat. Anyhow, she bid good-bye to Italy's warm autumn and boarded a flight to Moscow. She then boarded the Trans-Siberian Railway and thought nothing better of it.

It was to be the journey of a lifetime.

"You'll get in contact with our middle-man on the Wolga," Alessio said over the phone. Fiona drew the fur-lined cap deeper into her face. Cold. It would only get worse deeper into the country. "He's a quiet fellow. He'll get talkative with a drink or two from a fair-haired lady." She didn't think much of Alessio's phrasing. If her contact was standing _on_ a river in the middle of Russia then he was definitely standing on a river in the middle of Russia. With boat or without.

The mission was simple: extract information out of low-ranking mobsters. She was to carve a way into a shady gang's innermost and leave without a trace of her entering and spying. The rest would be up to the infiltrator-type informants if the need arose.

Of course his intel turned out to be true: a quiet youngster (sitting in a boat) fishing on the Wolga. Though it took a whole bottle to loosen his tongue. Then a kick to the shin and dumping his head into the freezing water when he tried to grope her.

Fiona studied the way her breath fogged the windows of the phone booth when she next called her adoptive uncle. "You forgot the _touchy-when-drunk_ part. Then again, that's my part of the job." She fumbled out a piece of paper. "Got a list of coordinates and some flunky's passwords for you. There's also lots of unhappy rumors about The Azawakh Bribe, which is either the strangest gang name ever or a translation error. They definitely have a big base of operations around here."

"No, that's their name alright. It's the result from excessive drinking coupled with illiteracy. But you're fast," Alessio muttered as he typed away on his keyboard back in sunny Italy. "Didn't think we could get a hold of their hideouts this quickly. Is the weather that bad for your skin or why do you skip half of my well-prepared steps?"

"The sun is scorching hot and my skin flaking, woe me." She practically scoffed in irony, using her natural sixteen-year-old greatest asset. "Our client better be damn pleased about this progress." Gloved hands tapped away at the frosty glass. She switched back to a neutral business tone. "Got some locations?"

The quiet clicking stretched out for a little longer before Alessio hummed in thought. "More than I'd like. They're expanding faster than anticipated. I should have another contact somewhere close by. Look for a shady pub."

"Look, if you want to punish me over the spilled wine at least let me have a flashy death."

He chuckled in a decidedly wicked way. The temperature inside the phone booth dropped a few degrees along with it. "It's the carpet I'm angry about, dearie." Fiona shuddered. He never called her dearie. "Let this be punishment enough for you: I'm going to a party of Ganauche's tonight, so don't call me. You know how rowdy things get with him. Try to enjoy yourself, too~"

He hung up and Fiona stepped out into the snow. It piled up to her knees. It hadn't when she entered the booth. There was also a snowstorm now.

Screw that smug bastard and his cozy life.

The worsening weather only helped aggravate her further and when she entered a shady-looking pub some three hours later (questioning and bribing involved in the process), her mood was at a record-low.

Red striplights lined the stairway down to the entrance of the pub. Two men huddled in a corner opposite the door, wooden barrel turned into a makeshift table for an overflowing ashtray. Dark eyes watched her every step as she descended, each footfall full of meaning. She stopped in front of them with her hands inside the pockets of her coat and cocked her head. The man to her left said something in Russian. The other snorted.

Fiona smirked and kicked the door open. They startled. "Будь паинькой. (Be good now.)" With tense silence as her sole companion she entered the bar area.

A quick scan of the interiors revealed two backdoors and half a dozen people. One door led to the kitchen with the liquors. There was a bittersweet smell in the air. The other to a drug cellar. Good. "Azawakh Bribe," she said and moved to the counter. The barkeeper was a small man with an angry face. Fiona took the pint from the man next to her and held it in the barkeeper's face. "Spill it or I'll spill this."

He eyed the mug, then the men inside the pub, before his eyes finally settled on her. "Ты шутишь? (Are you kidding?)"

"No." She took a big swing. "I'm enjoying myself."

.

.

.

.

Kusakabe rolled the culm between his lips very slowly. Almost carefully so. _Timid_. "That's a lie."

Fiona grinned and it was not the happy kind. "Let's just say the pub's no longer standing there. At least not the way I entered it."

"What do you mean 'not the way you entered it'? Did you turn it upside down or something?" The other two prefects guarding the door exchanged wary glances at Fiona's story. They felt more uncomfortable inside their own hide than their supposed prisoner, who was, as Alessio once so smugly suggested, _thoroughly enjoying_ her current situation.

That's why she only broadened her smile in answer, even as the ropes tying her wrists chafed against her skin. "That, my friend, is a story for another time." Let the mystery of her existence eat them up from the inside.

"You can't just leave us hanging there!" Kusakabe exclaimed and stopped rocking his chair. It landed with a thud and screeched forward a couple inches. "You said the whole thing started with a misunderstanding. What about?"

_Well, there's the fact that your boss doesn't quite like being kissed maybe? _Not the way Fiona did, that's for sure. A little more complaisance from his side would've been nice, but his lips were too soft to stop, and when was the last time she kissed someone sincerely—

Fiona cleared her throat before her mind drifted off to places it shouldn't. Focus on the situation at hand and how to best get out of it again. Before it escalates preferably. "I'll tell you the rest of the story if you release me."

Once upon a not so far away time there was another misunderstanding, a miscommunication yet again. It occured between two people that are considered to be very dangerous. A duo that is best known for their destructive game of cat-and-mouse. Mostly destructive to the rest of town, not them. We're talking about running for your dear life and getting chased by the devil to hell and back.

Yes, _this time_ we're talking about Benivieni Fiona and Hibari Kyoya and the aftermath of their kissing incident.

For starters: it was past midnight and she was tied to a chair inside an empty classroom guarded by no less than three prefects, one of them the second-in-command of Elvis Enterprise himself. She was barefoot, only in her pajamas and Kusakabe shook his head again at her plea for freedom. "No can do."

"I said, release me."

"No."

"You're awfully thick-headed."

"And you think you can get away with anything."

"That's because I usually _can_."

Why was she tied to that chair and guarded so viciously? It may have to do with the fact that she's been on the run for roughly a whole week (read: hunted like a wanted criminal). Being the capable nifty informant she was she'd successfully managed to give her pursuers the slip more times than not (read: she'd rather not fall into the hands of one furious Hibari, thank you very much).

There was a pregnant pause as Fiona's mind replayed the cataclysmic events of the previous week. Most of it was neither safe for work nor suited for children. That guy took a kiss way too personal for his own good. I mean, she's a gorgeous beauty, there's nothing to be angry about! Right?

Her mind supplied her with a generous round of chirping crickets.

"What did you do this time to deserve this?" Kusakabe's question interrupted her grim memories and brought her back to the unpleasant reality of her hurting wrists. They sure knew how to tighten those knots. "I know you swindled some money during the Summer Festival but this isn't any normal detention," he continued, culm rolling between his lips once he finished.

"Speaking of detention, I have that, too."

"Seriously, are you out to kill yourself?"

If only he knew the real reason behind her capture. Though if Kusakabe knew that she'd kissed his boss he'd probably be the first one to flay her alive given his Hibari-adoration. She chose to keep quiet and leaned back to the best of her abilities, looking as unperturbed as possible given the circumstances. With the stories she'd fed them her false composure fooled them easily. "Where's my executioner, anyway? He's a long time coming."

Kusakabe sighed. "I don't get you at all."

"And here I was, sharing stories about my humble self in order to deepen our relationship. I see that it has failed."

"That's because you always stop at the best part!"

"Oh, so you do like me? Shamal didn't lie then."

"Wha—I don't—How did you end up with that conclusion?!" If there was a single thing more entertaining than a flustered Tsuna, it was a flustered and flabbergasted Kusakabe. Fiona just so loved riling up the stoic type. "That stupid doctor," he eventually muttered in defeat to her wiggling brows.

"Exactly. Shamal is such a blabbermouth once drunk," Fiona chirped. "If you release me now we can go hunt him down."

"Do you think I'm that stupid? I have direct orders from Hibari-san."

"But he's not even _here_," she pouted childishly, struggling against her constraints. For some reason she was enjoying herself a tad bit too much. Must be caffeine withdrawal kicking in. Or the cold. She _was_ only clad in her pajamas.

One of the prefects by the door scoffed. "I told you we should've brought the tape to shut her up."

"Doesn't work," she promptly answered.

He rose a brow. "Wanna try that?"

Fiona shrug her shoulders. "Already did. Duct tape doesn't work outside of movies. Hell, it's not even that painful to rip off."

"Your childhood must've been colorful," the other prefect said dryly.

"I had the most loving family trying to put a spoke in my wheel."

With that the conversation died out as the prefects temporarily gave up on trying to out-talk her. Simply too much effort involved. Fiona let the silence work in her favor for once and rolled her head back to inspect the ceiling for an escape route. The tile design was dull and repetetive. Someone should punish the architect. Then again it was built during the post-war era; a distinct touch of hopelessness was to be expected in a building of primarily pragmatic use. And now she was over-analyzing dead architects. Working in Namimori made her go soft.

The shuffling of clothes startled her out of her reverie. Kusakabe slipped out of his leather jacket and draped it securely over her shoulders. Fiona stared at the piece of clothing. "You chased me across three towns only to kidnap and bind me. What's this symbol of friendship for?"

He looked to the side trying not to roll his eyes. "You're of no use for us if you catch a cold. Besides..." He chanced a glance before looking away again. "Do you always sleep like that?"

Aw, isn't he the sweetest kidnapper of all time. She delibaretly crossed her legs, showing off all the bare skin the short pants didn't cover. "It's summer and I'm feeling _very_ hot."

"Mochida, bring the tape. I'll definitely make it work on her."

"You will do no such thing," a cool voice interrupted him. Both Kusakabe and Fiona startled violently away from one another. No way. She hadn't even escaped yet. The Italian raised her head to meet the eyes of her pursuer.

There was great danger to be found in a misunderstanding. She, as an informant, knew that best. Due to Alessio being drunk when he briefed her on the mission she'd told the prefects about, he somehow managed to switch up the words _Sahara_ and _Siberia_.

Yeah, Fiona was supposed to go to Africa, not Russia.

In the end, through either dumb luck or wicked fate, she'd still managed to bust the same organization and only realized the extent of their misunderstanding when she returned to Italy with a cold instead of a sunburn. Suffice to say she'd hunted Alessio down to his very own wine cellar.

And the whole incident _still_ didn't compare to the extent of danger she was in for kissing Hibari Kyoya. His eyes were unforgiving as they drilled into hers with cold fury. "Leave us." The order was calm, almost casual.

Even Kusakabe looked a little sorry for her as he left.

When the door slammed shut behind the last prefect it introduced only silence. Not even little Hibird gave off a sound. Only the clock ticking time away disrupted the quiet that spread between them. Hibari eyed Fiona suspiciously and she resisted the urge to gulp.

She could hold her trap as well as she could talk with it and so she did. She kept very quiet and uncharacteristically still. Unmoving. _Unafraid_.

Okay, why did it sound like she was the prey in a T-Rex's sight?

She watched Hibari closely as he stepped up to the teacher's desk and relaxed against it. Hibird slipped off his shoulder and fluttered down onto the wood next to him. "Student Council," he started coolly and managed to radiate the suffocating radiance of a king.

Her answer was immediate. "Yessir." There was no running now that he'd had her cornered. Best get over with it and try to improvise on the spot should he resort to violence. Which he probably will.

"You shouldn't have run," he said, drawing a tonfa and inspecting its blunt end lazily. "It only worsens your punishment."

Okay, scratch that. He will _kill_ her tonight.

She rolled her eyes, looking calm and sounding sarcastic on the outside. "You almost got blood on my yukata. _My_ blood. Instincts told me to get the hell out of there before you beat me to a pulp and I did." Meanwhile her brain trudged through an endless sea of possible escape routes that would end with the least blood shed. If only she hadn't played around with Kusakabe so much—

Wait a second. Why had Hibari gone quiet all of a sudden?

Fiona blinked at him but his head was cocked to the side, watching her. No, not her, her _lips_—

The moment she realized he was gone from her sight and she found herself with a tonfa pressed to her neck. _Too fast_. Keeping her breathing as shallow as possible she sought his eyes for any sign of attack. They looked indifferent, thoughtful, jolting back and forth between her lips and her eyes uncontrollably. _I can't read him like this, _she thought and switched to his hand instead, tensing her whole body in preparation of an attack.

It arrived with the twitch of a muscle and blades springing out of his tonfa.

The moment she spotted his hand tense she pressed her feet into the ground and pushed the chair backwards. She grinned at his surprise when his tonfa found naught but air but the grin quickly died on her lips when her world toppled over.

She may have pushed a little too hard.

With a slam the back of her head greeted the floor and it sent starts appearing in front of her vision. "_Owowow_," she yammered and rolled her head left and right in an attempt to soothe the pain. "Jumping with a chair, bad idea. My poor arms."

Hibari blinked at the scene before him. "Are you a turtle?"

Fiona shot him a fierce glare. "Oh, _now_ you're trying to be funny." She eyed the ground next to her. "At least it's clean. If my hair so much as gets a bread crumb stuck inside it, I will kill you with my bare hands."

"Oh? I'd like to see that."

She crossed her legs and made sure it looked decidedly sovereign despite her horizontal position. "If you would please help me up so that we can hold a civil conversation. On _equal_ _grounds_, you know?"

Hibari sat in the chair next to her head. "No. This is just right." Oh, you little devil, you. He crossed his ankles across Kusakabe's jacket on her ribcage. "You'll learn to respect me."

For a single moment she was too flabbergasted to properly speak—he placed his legs on her, how rude can you get?—but then his words fully registered in her mind. Instead of glaring or snapping at him and his stupidly rude legs she frowned. "I already respect you. I mean, you got some pretty bloody tonfa and all—" Hibari pressed his legs harder down and all air left her lungs. "—_ouch_, okay, you get to be funny but I don't, I get it," she wheezed.

He released the pressure and cocked his head to the side, throwing her a sharp look. "You will never do such a thing again."

Such a thing? Ah, of course. _That_ thing. "Well," she started and her lips split into a grin. She knew exactly how to escape from her precarious situation now. "I'm afraid I can't promise that."

"Student Council," he growled. His calm left him, dissipated for the usual annoyance he felt at her behavior. He hated being toyed with. And she _loved_ toying with him.

"I think you should start calling me Fiona, darling," she answered cheekly.

When his tonfa soared down on her form this time all it was met with was wood. Too late did he realize his mistake.

Fiona stood up to her full height with a sigh of relief. "Rollover is a success!" Nimble fingers made quick work of the tattered rope his tonfa had smashed through. "Thanks for breaking the chair. Where were we? Ah, yes. The part about me kissing you." She gave him a curt salute. It's not like she had lied before. "I'll continue that, sir."

And with that the chase was renewed.

Little did she know that it'd be the last one.

* * *

**Meanwhile**

**10km away from Namimori**

* * *

Blue flames drew a delicate pattern across the night sky. The boy was running for his life, racing from one rooftop to another but to no avail—he could hear his pursuer closing in on him. With every step he took he grew more tired but his opponent seemed tireless of the hunt.

When he heard a suspicious sound he turned around and raised his weapon just in time to block a direct hit. The blue flames over his forehead flared brightly in response. When the silhouette of his opponent retreated the young boy threw his boomerang after him.

It missed the long-haired man by a hair's breadth and destroyed the wall behind him. He didn't look impressed in the slightest. "Voi," he said as he stepped up into the moonlight. His bright eyes held a dangerous gleam to them. "Why'd you come to Japan? If you don't spit it out, I'll slice you into three."

Even though his breathing was ragged from exhaustion the boy was calm and composed as he met the elder's gaze. "I have no need to answer thee."

The swordsman went in for another attack. This time exhaustion took its toll on the young boy—when he dodged, he slipped over the edge of the building. Only in the last second did he manage to grasp the edge and he held onto it with the will of the desperate.

The swordsman stepped closer. His silver hair appeared to glow in the blue light his flame emitted. "You're weak," the man said, coming to a halt at the edge. The young boy fumbled through the back pockets of his pants. _I cannot lose..._

The silver-haired man raised his foot to crush the boy's fingers.

He managed to pull out a picture with a smiling mother and her child and his heart throbbed with renewed vigor. _Not at a place like this._

* * *

**A/N:**

**I'm back from the dead again!**

**First of all: sorry for my long absence. I managed to squeeze in a message on my profile saying that I won't be able to update but that's basically all I could do. At first I was simply swamped with college, then we moved into a new apartment and I didn't even have internet access for roughly a month. I'm still behind some homework for college so updates will have to slow down to every 2-3 weeks over this summer (or what remains of it. Half of it was cold anyway!). I hope you'll forgive me.  
**

**Secondly: VARIA ARC.**

**Thirdly: Initially I wrote the last part of the classroom bit from Hibari's perspective but it didn't quite fit. His perspective always carries me over to the dark side of things. But because this chapter is a little shorter than the rest I'd like to leave you with a little parting gift.**

**See you again in the next chapter! :)**

* * *

**Extended Cut! Alternate POV Edition.**

* * *

[...]

"You almost got blood on my yukata. _My_ blood. Instincts told me to get the hell out of there before you beat me to a pulp and I did."

There it was again, that witty, talkative mouth of hers, whose sole reason for existence was to cause problems. His eyes wandered over her face but he couldn't help pausing over his object of interest: her _lips_.

_"I'm not sprouting nonsense," she said, face leaning closer. "And eventually you'll come to terms with it."_

_Then her lips were on his. Fireworks crackled above their heads. For a single moment he was too surprised to do anything. For a single moment he was inclined to—_

Bringing the memory to an abrupt stop, Hibari found himself next to her, tonfa pressed to her neck. All it would take was one press of the button and the blades would jump out and slice right through the soft skin of her throat. It wasn't a lethal attack but a painful one, enough to draw a cry and a hiss and force the obedience she was so thoroughly lacking.

_Soft. Malleable with just the tiniest pressure._

The low buzz of blood rushing past his ears urged him to do more than just that. To beat her up beyond recognition and be done with it once and for all.

_Sweet. Too sweet, the taste doesn't fit her._

But she was no herbivore like the rest. Those eyes—

_A finger ghosts over his cheek and he recoils._

He instinctively pressed down on the button and the blades jump out.

—They don't disappoint.

His tonfa found naught but air. His eyes widened as she slipped away, green eyes as adamant and defiant as on that damnable day on the lake. Even as they crashed into the floor did they hold their ground.

She'd dodged him again. Not bad.

"_Owowow_," she yammered and rolled her head left and right in an attempt to soothe the pain. "Jumping with a chair, bad idea. My poor arms."

Hibari blinked at the scene before him. "Are you a turtle?"

[...]


	22. The Varia Comes!

**I don't own ********_Katekyō Hitman Reborn!_****. And beware the Dino. He is strong in this chapter.  
**

**Guest Reviews:**

_Caecus:_** I bow to your kind words. And apologize for the lateness of it all. Should've gotten this out waaay earlier but now the real awesome stuff is starting. More canon characters! New interactions for Fiona to explore! And exploit! _Err_. I'll try my best. ;)  
**

**Guest Reviews ******– The End****.

**Also a_ BIG SHOUTOUT_ to **_Addicted-to-GazettE_**, who sent me a cool link with lots of awesome hairstyles. That was a while back but this chapter is the first that utilized one of those hairstyles. The site is really, really good, so thanks a lot again!**

**For those interested in new hair inspirations: _SweetHearts Hair Design_ is the place to go. For this chapter I chose the _Bow Ponytail_ (which also has a youtube tutorial now). Check it out!**

* * *

**Previously**

* * *

_The swordsman stepped closer. His silver hair appeared to glow in the blue light his flame emitted. "You're weak," the man said, coming to a halt at the edge. The young boy fumbled through the back pockets of his pants. **I cannot lose...**_

_The silver-haired man raised his foot to crush the boy's fingers._

_He managed to pull out a picture with a smiling mother and her child and his heart throbbed with renewed vigor._ **_Not at a place like this._**

.

.

.

.

* * *

**Target XXI: The Varia Comes!  
**

* * *

_It's a long way down. Her side hurts. He says they have no time and they tremble and tumble and fall—_

_Time._

_He looks at her, down the barrel. "You know too much." _

_**Peng.**_

_She looks at them, down the barrel. They have no time. One_

_**Peng. **_

_by_

_**Peng. **_

_one_

_**Peng.**_

It was in the middle of the night when her phone started ringing. Fiona startled awake, hand halfway to the source of the sound. The tiny screen was too bright in the living room, hurting her eyes, and with a disgruntled mutter she picked up. "I'm trying to sleep here, Reborn."

_"We both know that you don't sleep,"_ his squeaky voice answered over the phone.

"I stand corrected: I'm trying to sleep for the _fifth_ time tonight." She rubbed her stinging eyelids. "What do you want?" Pleasantries were the last thing she had on mind when she just came to from her favorite dream. There was no way she was going to fall asleep again now. She was in dire need of coffee.

_"I need you to check out something for me."_

She pulled her laptop closer. When the display lit up she nearly hissed like a vampire. "I'd like to be paid beforehand," she muttered, tucking the afterimages of her dreams away. Always an insomniac, worse an insomniac when you grow up. Focus and work. "I'm waiting."

Something shuffled on his end before he started speaking. _"Did you get any orders from the Ninth lately?"_

Fiona frowned. Not what she'd expected. Usually he only called to ask for a round-up of suspicious personae in and around Namimori. He could always use them for training for Tsuna, he said. "No, I haven't. They're usually relayed through you."

Reborn hummed and it wasn't the happy type. _"Indeed. For example, I always get informed of visitors coming to Namimori beforehand. For obvious reasons, of course."_ Fiona crossed her legs, listening intently. The Ninth cared about Tsuna. And because he was so young and inexperienced, the Ninth tried to ease the path to succession to the best of his abilities. That meant he'd declared Namimori akin to his own property and illegal trespassing was to be punished severly. Tsuna wasn't to be harmed by enemy families if it could be avoided. _"I was just informed by a Cavallone **middleman** that Dino is coming over,"_ Reborn wrapped up.

She immediately understood. "Not the Ninth?"

_"Nor one of his men,"_ he confirmed. He sounded pissed. Pissed and tense. He did not like surprises. _"His plane will land in three hours. Something is going on. Intercept him and find out."_

Fiona knew better than to complain. The baby was a professional hitman and his gut feeling more often than not right. She got up and braced herself for a long day.

* * *

"Moooom? Is breakfast ready yet?" Tsuna couldn't surpress the yawn at the very end. It was way too early for school. Summer break had come and gone too fast in the first place!

Lambo raced past him just as he reached the last stair, both hands (and afro) full with food. I-pin chased after him. "No! Lambo share with everyone!"

Tsuna watched them run out into the courtyard. _Great. There's probably nothing left for me anymore. _He tried his luck anyway and entered the kitchen smelling deliciously of all sorts of spices and food. "It's done already—"

He did a double take.

_WHA—?!_

The dining table was stuffed with food. No, practically _stacked_ with it. From rice to cornflakes to meat and stew as well as watermelon and honeyed bananas, everything the stomach might have wished for,_ it was all there_. Fuuta and Reborn already sat at the table, munching shrimps and reading newspaper. "It's only morning! What's going on this early?" His eyes wandered over to the kitchen counter where his mom hummed and... kept on cooking?! "You're making even more?!"

Bianchi approached him, stepping up from behind him while holding chopsticks with chicken drumsticks in between. "Tsuna, what's the meaning of this?" she asked in between chewing what looked like roasted pork. _All the meat in the world is gathered here! _

But wait, what did she say?

Fuuta looked up when he noticed him standing there and gulped down the shrimp he nibbled on. "Did Tsuna-nii score a 100 on his test?"

The middleschooler cocked his head to the side, mulling it over. "Hm, no..." He'd received a zero, got hit by the ball during P.E., and managed to spill his milk while tripping over his own feet. "No, yesterday was my usual 'no-good' life."

Bianchi turned to look at his mom, still lost in her own cooking world. "Then what happened?" That's a really good question...

Since he was the son, he tried to approach her. "M-Mom?" he started. She didn't even hear him. He exchanged a glance with Bianchi and Fuuta and took a deep breath. "Mom!"

Still nothing.

"**MOM!**"

Mom turned around with a twirl. "Oh, Tsu-kun. You're awake!" She waved at him—_with a knife still in hand!_

"Careful with the knife!" She looked completely unperturbed by the warning, still grinning from one ear to the other. "What's going on? You're acting strange." While he didn't mind the food, he did mind knife incidents. He had his hands full with Reborn as it is.

"Really?" Mom cocked her head to the side—dangerously close to the knife, watch out!—before laughing as happily as he'd rarely heard her laugh. "I haven't told you yet." She made a pause for squealing, and there's _definitely_ something wrong with her, when she dropped the bomb on him: "Daddy's coming home for the first time in two years!"

His jaw dropped on its own. "EEEEEEH?!"

* * *

It was loud at the airport. Fiona righted her blazer, pulling its ends to straighten whatever crease could've snuck into the cloth. For all the world she looked like a businesswoman crossbred with a fashion model: a coral blazer with fitting heels, a luxurious gold watch on her wrist, and a white summer dress made for a striking combination together. Her hair was up in a chic Bow Ponytail. She concealed the eyebags behind make-up and sunglasses.

The throng moved with the pace of a snail, pushing and shoving, billowing at the exits before deflating once outside. The sight vaguely reminded her of the ocean; a steady ebb and flow that never stopped. Only that the ocean was prettier to look at and less prone to suitcases bumping into shins. The burly family father hastily apologized when she fixed him a warning glare, making as wide a berth around her with his suitcase as possible. She knew there was a reason why she generally preferred private flights. Too many people in one place were a mess.

With a sigh Fiona checked the time on her watch, righting the large shades on her nose as she did so. Where was he? The car was ready, she looked impeccable, blended in with the crowd in a non-mafiosi fashion, and Reborn had a suspicious tone in his voice when he sent her on a covert operation to the airport. She already sniffed a secret waiting to be spilled and she just _loved_ her secrets fresh out of the oven.

"_Signorina Fiona!_"

She looked up at the mention of her name and caught sight of a tall man in a black suit and tie. His face looked friendly enough for a mafiosi, with an old-school moustache and intelligent eyes behind glasses. Those eyes were mustering her openly now, only somewhat successfully hiding the curiosity. "We didn't expect someone to meet us. Did Reborn send you?"

Fiona waved the mention off. "Please. Keeping tabs on people entering and leaving the city is routine work to me. When I spotted your names on the list I simply couldn't pass up on the chance to see you guys again."

Romario now looked suspicious, even with his facial expression completely stoic. "Our landing was only _just_ authorized."

She knew the game as much as anyone else. "Shows _just_ how good I am," she answered with a sweet smile. They stared at each other, neither of them backing down. People started making an even wider berth around them.

"Romario, what are you looking at—_diamine! _Is that you, Fiona?"

Involuntarily she tore her gaze from Romario to greet the man she was waiting for in the first place. "It's been a while, Bucking Horse—_oof!_" Laughter filled her ears when Dino clamped his arms around her in a tight embrace that took her off the ground even with her heels. "Watch the hair!" she warned but it drowned in his warmth. Returning the gesture she smiled into his shoulders, soaking in the familiar scent of sun and leather.

When he pulled back he had a stupid grin on his face. "Sorry, it's just been _so_ long." He bent his face in her direction and for a moment she was alarmed—_what are you doing this close to my face, handsome blond hunk that's making me forget the purpose of my mission_—when she gathered her wits in the last moment and turned her head ever so slightly for him to peck her cheeks.

She'd been gone from home for so long, she'd nearly forgotten the typically Italian way of saying hello: kissing cheeks. "_Come stai, carissimo?_ You look better than last time I saw you," she teased. And oh, how he _did_.

Dino looked as if he'd stepped right out of a fashion magazine. His smile turned heads (mainly female ones) and he positively radiated charisma and confidence the way he slung his olive-green jacket over one shoulder, leaving him only with a white shirt and jeans. His tattoo stretched across a taut arm that looking decidedly as if someone was keeping himself in shape.

On another hand, was thinking about Dino's handsome looks considered inappropriate considering her current infatuation with a black-haired Japanese delinquent? Not like it was anything official, and he had made clear that he really didn't like being kissed, but she was still keen on doing so despite his protest. She only had to look out for the next possible moment of slipping past his defense.

"What are you grinning about?" Dino asked.

Focus. No thinking about Hibari Kyoya right now. What made her thoughts stray that way in the first place? Some form of beauty contest? Seriously, _focus_. "The fact that we totally missed each other last time you were in Namimori." Fuuta's presence had played a big role in her avoidance. "Really, where did all these muscles come from?" she changed topics quickly, pressing a palm flat against his upper arm. It was solid brick under her touch.

He laughed. "I've grown out of my child shoes thanks to Reborn's training. Speaking of him, how is Tsuna doing?"

At the mention of both Reborn's and Tsuna's names something in the back of her mind clicked in place. Good thing she wore shades. The greedy glint in her eyes would've betrayed her on the spot. She still had a mission. Reborns words of caution were simple: _Something is going on. Intercept him and find out._

The baby sure didn't like being surprised. She mustered Dino from the safety of her shades. He's following the pattern down _friendly chit-chat that's easy to guide away from important business_. She was going to lead him over to the path of _pressure_.

Dino never took long to break.

"He's doing fine." With a glance in Romario's direction she slipped back into a more watchful persona. "Well, actually the same as you did when you were with Reborn."

Dino shuddered. "Yeah, thought as much..." When he turned to look at her again he paused, hand reaching out to touch the side of her neck. _Genuine concern._ "Is that his doing? I'm sorry, he just doesn't know when to stop."

For all his sweetness, pointing out a flaw to a narcissistic person that values her looks above all is not the right thing to do. Her fingers cupped his gently but firmly. He didn't make it easy for her to concentrate on the mission. "I was caught a little off-guard." She tightened her grip as she led his hand away. "Or maybe I angered a demon." Sweet, malicious honey dripped off her smile. _Pressure. Feel the same pressure as I have these past days!_

Dino got the point judging from his nervous smile.

So maybe she shouldn't have kissed Hibari. That was irreversible but totally worth it. Maybe she simply shouldn't have run then. But he had given chase to her, therefore she saw herself justified in her actions. Maybe she shouldn't have provoked him when he did actually manage to catch her, after all all he wanted was for her to stop and she'd said _nope, call me Fiona, darling._

Oh well.

Probably her biggest mistake was not to watch out where she was escaping to. Somehow she wound up in Kokuyo City again and—who'd have thought?—the bare notion of the name made him go into a frenzy. Even she couldn't escape his sudden peak of wrath and the prize was a very pointy tonfa to her neck. Again.

With all his biting and aiming for the neck he made for the perfect vampire, seriously.

Dino clasping his hands together tore her from her grim reverie. "Shall we go then? I'm starving."

That was her cue. There is nothing like work when you've had a bad night's rest and painful memories. If she had a handsome target, all the better. "There's a great bakery over there. The sandwiches are sizeable." With puckered lips, slightly parted to look innocent and genuinely forthcoming, she pointed just over her shoulder to the giant sign.

Dino's smile froze in place and even Romario's stoic-friendly expression slipped sideways ever so slightly. "I really feel like eating Japanese food," the Cavallone boss managed to say.

_Clever, but not clever enough. _"What a coincidence! There's a sushi bar right next to the bakery!" Fiona slipped an arm around his. "Let's go and sit down for a talk. You're not in a hurry, right? No, of course you're not, you _just_ arrived. Wait a second. Where's the rest of your men?" She opened her mouth in mock-surprise. "We should wait for them!"

"I—no, there's just a couple here with me now—"

"I insist!"

"Actually, they're already waiting outside with a car—"

"But I dressed up just for you! I thought we'd go on a date, now that we have the time~"

"And you look really very pretty but—"

"I said but first."

"Wha—? No, it doesn't work that way, does it?"

"Sushi Bar, pleeeease?"

In her flurry of words it was all he could do to finally stop her:

"No!"

There was a moment of silence.

Fiona smiled. "Who else is coming and why should I not meet this person?"

Dino looked ready to slap himself for his slip-up. He was still too easy to play with. Much like Tsuna, indeed. Hard to believe that the Cavallone boss was three years her senior. "Look, let's just leave before anyone sees us. Tsuna should've found out by now anyway." He started leading her away.

She put her weight against his, gripping his arm tighter. For some reason the Ninth didn't inform Reborn of Dino's arrival. That it directly involved Tsuna made it all the more suspicious that someone was hiding something. They began struggling, looking much like two penguins trying to dance. Romario looked everywhere but at them. "Tsuna is involved, ho-hum." She dropped her voice to a threat. "Tell me or Reborn will be the least of your troubles."

"You sure you didn't pick up something from Eduardo...?" Dino asked uncertainly.

"_Some_thing for sure." Movement caught her eye. Something tall and big trying to slip away. "Don't even try," she warned and the shadow stopped mid-step. Fiona turned around, taking Dino with her.

When she spotted the person her brows rose in surprise, easily overshooting the rims of her shades. Her hold on Dino loosened. "You..."

Sawada Iemitsu gave her a curt nod in greeting, rubbing his scrubby stubble of a blond beard and looking as if he'd just stepped out of the solarium with a tan to be envious of. "Good eyes, Fisher."

Her hand twitched with the urge to slap the man. Not him. Not today out of all days. The initial surprise was quickly replaced by a wary tension. Every muscle in her body was strung to breaking point. "Part of the job description," she answered mechanically.

He seemed to understand. She eased a little.

Iemitsu's face split into a cocky grin. "CEDEF owes you for your last meddling regarding the disappearance of Fuuta. Uncalled for, but you did a damn good job."

Fiona rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. _Focus_. "I prefer cash," she answered bluntly. _Shove it all away_._ It's just a coincidental meeting, nothing suspicious_. Behind her she felt Dino fidget nervously, which returned her to the task at hand. "What are you doing here?"

The large Italian eased into the game with more finesse than Romario and Dino combined. He laughed, loud and raucous. Fiona cringed when half the airport looked their way. Attempted public humiliation as well as drawing attention, that cunning little bastard. "Did I mention that you look super pretty today?" Suddenly he was in her face. "How do you women always manage to look so pretty? I'm so envious! I mean, that _hair_! It's like a bow!"

When his hand reached for her hair she had to draw a line. Even if that meant leaning backwards in a perfect 45 degrees with her arms crossed over her head in an attempt to keep up with the menace that is CEDEF's leading informant. She never said it had to be a graceful line. "It's called _effort_ but of course you wouldn't know the word. Besides, don't change topics, do you think me stupid?"

He leaned back to full height. "Aw, you were so much cuter when you were younger. I'm visiting my son and wife, what else?" he hummed and she knew he wouldn't trip up in his game the same way Dino did no matter how much she talked. But Sawada Iemitsu had the air of someone on important business around him and she was going to find out why he was in Namimori without the Ninth's knowledge no matter what. She chanced a glance at Dino and he flinched when their eyes met.

Weakest link. Gotcha.

* * *

On the way to school, Tsuna told both Yamamoto and Gokudera about the surprising news of his father's return. Yamamoto smiled, as usual. "I think it's great that your old man's coming back."

Tsuna didn't share the same enthusiasm. "Yeah, sort of..."

Gokudera, maybe due to his shady upbringing, always thought Tsuna's Dad had been dead all along. "So the Tenth's father is alive after all..." Suddenly he raised a fist into the air with an almost manic face, overflowing with energy. "Once he returns, I, the Tenth's right-hand man, must be the first to greet him!"

Tsuna blinked. What? No! He waved his arms around frantically. "No, don't do it! You don't have to do it for that irresponsible guy!"

It was the first time he'd openly uttered his discomfort but they picked up on it with ease. "What do you mean by 'irresponsible'?" Yamamoto asked tentatively.

In a rare moment of disdain, Tsuna's expression was completely void of any emotion. He felt... nothing, really, at the news of his Dad's return. Surprise, sure, panic even, when he found out that he'd lived with a lie and his Mom had stayed in contact with the man all these years. But once it settled in? There was a sense of deflation, nothing more. "The things he says and does have always been insane. When I was little, he was rarely home. One time I asked him what he did for a living..." He could remember his Dad's answer as clear as day.

_"I fly around the world and control the traffic in construction sites."_

Even Gokudera's newfound energy deflated at that. "All around the world...?"

"That's pretty wild." Though Yamamoto seemed to hesitate, too.

Tsuna eyed the two of them. "Isn't he suspicious?"

"N-Not at all!" Gokudera quickly tried to remedy but his words had no effect on Tsuna. There was no bitterness, only indifference. What was there to connect father and son in the first place? He was gone for the better part of his life.

Tsuna frowned, watching his own feet as he walked. "I didn't really get it when I was little, but now that I think about it, everything about him was strange." He turned his head upwards now. A day like any other, as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. "Besides, it's just unthinkable that he couldn't manage to return even once in two years." A pair of birds raced over their heads. "Even if a father like that comes back now..."

_It just won't feel right. _He didn't say it out aloud but the sigh he chose instead spoke volumes.

His friends exchanged worried looks until Yamamoto perked up first. "Hey, want to go hang out somewhere?"

Gokudera picked up on it immediately. "Nice going, baseball nut! Let's do that, Tenth!" He turned to look at the smaller boy, eyes shining. "It's best not to worry about family issues too much. I mean," he gave him a thumbs-up and a wide grin. "Look at me: my family is messed up beyond recognition!"

Tsuna's expression froze in twitching disbelief. _He said something that disturbing with such a bright smile! _"B-But what about school?" he managed to ask once he'd recuperated.

"Today is a review day, right?" Yamamoto asked in turn. Tsuna nodded.

Gokudera bobbed his head up and down in a completely exaggerated form of affirmation as well. "And it's Sunday all around the world. We need a break from time to time." Not that they didn't have enough breaks from school with Reborn around. Most of them spent in the hospital. Though even then the baby forced him to do his homework...

Before he'd even settled on the idea, the two—completely caught in their own pace as they gesticulated with each other in a conversation Tsuna had missed while lost in though—for once agreed on the same thing. They turned to look at him with wide smiles. "Since it's Sunday, let's invite everyone!" Yamamoto beamed.

"Just don't invite idiots!" Gokudera retorted immediately, shoving Yamamoto to the side to make his point clear.

Watching them like that, Tsuna couldn't help but pause and wonder. He fell behind them a few steps. _Maybe the two of them are just worried about me. _The cold indifference from before dissipated in favor of warmth. With those two around it's worth incurring Reborn's wrath for skipping school. A small smile crossed his lips.

_Thank you._

* * *

When Yamamoto offered to hang out Tsuna had felt elated. He'd never had a friend worry for him when he was down. And it was such a simple, easy, nothing-could-go-wrong idea, too! He'd invited everyone they knew: Kyoko-chan and Haru, Fuuta and Reborn and I-pin and Lambo...

Maybe for once Gokudera's foul mouth had been right when he said: _no idiots_.

If only Lambo weren't here. It's not that he minded the cow-patterned boy but that he was impossible to control. Tsuna sighed and ultimately felt ten years older.

He was loud, unruly, and completely oblivious to his actions. Who walks into a underwears shop, puts a bra over his eyes and screams "Eyeball Torpedo!" down the whole shopping street? It was, without a doubt, the worst kind of embarassment he had to apologize for to date. That meant a lot considering the stress Reborn usually puts him through. He'd also have to do all the studies he'd missed out today, because some part of Reborn decided to misuse the title of tutor again.

But no, it wasn't just that Lambo made his life a living hell. His friends could play and talk while he was stuck running around and after the young boy. No, the worst part was that Kyoko-chan had seen it all. He could sink into the floor from shame!

"Lambo-san is thirsty!" Lambo declared.

Tsuna gave up fighting right then and there. "Okay, okay..."

Yamamoto threw him a lopsided smile. "We'll be right over there." He pointed to the entrance of the mall. Tsuna nodded and trod away, holding Lambo by the hand for as long as it took to find a seat in a nearby cafeteria and get him a drink.

He sighed again as he watched the afro-haired baby slurp down the orange juice. _I haven't been able to talk to Kyoko-chan at all..._

"Good work," a soft voice startled him out of his musings and he nearly jumped out of his chair when he realized who exactly it was.

Kyoko smiled, and Tsuna's heart nearly melted away_. She's so radiant! _"Lambo-kun looks like he's having a lot of fun," she said and offered him a can of tea.

He looked at the drink as if it were from another planet. _She came back for me...? _Then he realized that he was staring too blatantly and quickly added, "Thank you!" When she sat down and straightened her blouse, it took all his strength not to melt away again because this was his chance! The first time he didn't have to actively watch Lambo and apologize for him! Yamamoto's idea finally showed its merits.

Kyoko took the initiative before he could think of anything to talk about. "I couldn't say this before but when you came back from Kokuyo, I was really relieved." Tsuna blinked. Eh? "I thought you'd come back as a scarier person." Suddenly her smile softened, much warmer, more malleable than before and he felt that it what she said was very dear and serious to her. "But Tsuna-kun, you were being yourself, and that relieved me from my anxiety."

He tried not to show his confusion. _I... I don't really get it but I think she's praising me. _All he'd cared about a few minutes ago was Lambo's urges. He hadn't thought of Kokuyo Park and what had happened there in a long while.

And maybe he'd stared for too long again because suddenly she was_ thisclosetohisfacewaitwhat_. "Tsuna-kun?"

"EH?" He sounded high-pitched even to his ears.

She looked at something above his head. "What's this sound?" What sound? His beating heart? She couldn't actually hear it from where she sat, could she? What sound did she mean—

_BOOM._

The ground trembled and the table shook wildly. His tea rolled to the side and landed on the floor with a muffled clatter. Muffled, because his ears were ringing. The air smelled of smoke and in the glass windows of the mall he saw debris falling.

It took another explosion for him to finally hear the screams. People were yelling, running around in frantic panic, and he thought he yelled something, too, but he just couldn't quite _hear_. The ringing was like a constant buzz now. "Kyoko-chan!" he shouted when he heard a scream much too close to him.

"Tsuna-kun, watch out!"

"Kyoko-chan, are you alri—"

Something heavy slammed right into him, sending him crashing into the tiled floor.

It took him a few long moments to regain his vision. In addition to the buzz there was now a throbbing pain in the back of his head, great. "My apologies," someone said and Tsuna realized with a start that it wasn't some_thing_ lying on him—it was some_one_! "Thou art...!"

_'Thou' in the 21st century...?_

When the buzz finally subsided he could make out more sounds, more voices. "Juudaime!" Tsuna squinted in the direction of the noise. There was Gokudera, running over to him waving like a madman.

"Are you ok, Tsuna?!" Yamamoto, following closely after.

Then Kyoko-chan bent over him, worry etched across her featurs. He felt his heart skip a beat despite the situation. "Tsuna-kun, are you alright?"

"VOOOOI!" a loud yell interrupted them. In the remaining streaks of smoke stood a person; tall, clad in black, with long silver hair. In his left hand the man held a sword. He fixed them with a piercing glare. "A bunch of outsiders are starting to make a crowd." His smile was wicked, worse in combination with his cold eyes. "I'll slice up any trash that gets in my way!"

It was supposed to be a day off. Tsuna felt a shiver run down his back. Where had it all gone wrong _now_?

* * *

"You call that running?" Fiona yelled over her shoulder.

Dino threw her a sheepish smile. "I don't know why I'm tripping all the time. I guess it's the shoes!"

Right. The shoes. She was running barefoot on concrete with her heels in hand and he complains about_ shoes_.

Jacket and dress flaring, Dino and Fiona skid around the cars on the parking lot, aiming for the black car waiting on the far end. It was only a matter of time until Dino's lack of subordinates started to affect him: just as they reached the car and she opened a door, he succumbed to his own feet, no longer tripping but actvely falling.

With a face rivaling a god of wrath, Fiona caught him by his collar and threw him the rest of the way into the car. He banged his head on the opposite window, one half of his body stretched out on the back seat, the other dangling off sideways. The blond rubbed the back of his head before adjusting his position. "You're really fierce, Fiona," he said with a weak chuckle.

She made sure to slam the door shut when she slipped in after him. "You just told me that the Varia is here. Why _them_ out of all our life-threatening organizations?" She slipped back into the heels and readjusted her sunglasses. "And I let Iemitsu leave the airport without interrogation. As if my day could get any worse now. I'm so not going to get my pay."

"You two don't seem to get along well..."

"You don't say. Now start talking. What's happening at headquarters?"

The engine started and the car slid out of the parking lot. Dino didn't look comfortable inside his skin. "We don't know for sure but it seems as if Xanxus has started making moves."

For a moment Fiona froze. "_Xanxus?_" she all but squeaked. Xanxus shouldn't be able to lift a finger, let alone take back his command over the Varia! What the hell were those idiots at headquarters thinking? Wait a second... Reborn wasn't contacted of Dino's important visit and equally important visitor (jerk Iemitsu) beforehand. Now there's Varia in town without warning.

Her eyes widened. Something happened back in Italy. And it happened in the highest ranks. Her mind was rattling down possibilities like a machine. "Who's in Japan?" she asked looking at her hands.

Dino looked torn, she almost felt pity for him. Almost. He was important, all the more so if the leader of CEDEF himself considered an allied Boss more trustworthy than his best agents inside the Vongola. "There's only Iemitsu and me."

"And Varia." Fiona turned to look at him. "I'm _not_ your enemy, even if some people like to say otherwise. Jerk must've told you that much."

His expression softened. "He didn't have to. I trust my gut feeling." He drew a hand across his face and through his hair before he sighed. "Xanxus is after the Vongola Rings."

There was a miniscule moment of delay, where the cogs inside the machine froze in place. "He can't be," she simply retorted.

"Well, technically he is still the Ninth's son..."

Fiona shook her head. "Last time I talked to _Nono_, he was completely supportive of Tsuna. There's no way he'd offer the rings to Xanxus or let him take them." She leaned into the seat. "Xanxus has no legitimate claim on the rings unless someone nominated him as another candidate for the Tenth's position. And after the Cradle Affair..."

_If it was the real Xanxus, who freed him in the first place?_

Reborn had a bad hunch when Dino called. Fiona investigated. Fiona met Iemitsu. Iemitsu is on business here. The Vongola Rings are the subject of matter. "That son of a bitch!" she suddenly growled.

Dino looked perplexed. "Who?"

"Iemitsu! So he'd actually choose Xanxus over Tsuna? Has he met the man? Does he even know what he's _doing_ to his own son? Xanxus will butcher him!"

Perplexion turned into bewilderment. "Wha—no! Iemitsu wouldn't do that!" She crossed her arms and waited on him to elaborate. He shook his head, eyes focused on the driver's seat. "Iemitsu would never vouch for Xanxus. Nobody is sure what exactly happened. It all happened so very fast. All we were told was that we had to act fast." Seconded. If neither she nor Reborn and _barely_ CEDEF had gotten wind of events, the Varia must've acted fast and merciless themselves. Xanxus. It was just so hard to believe. "But Iemitsu is definitely on Tsuna's side. He even went as far as to send out a decoy with a fake set of rings—oops."

Even in the dark of the car her shades managed a sinister glint. "Decoy. Are you the decoy? No, he wouldn't have travelled together with you. Someone he sent out beforehand then._ Who's the decoy?_" she asked more fiercely. As much as Reborn didn't like being left out of the loop, Fiona absolutely _abhorred_ it. "I hate that guy, why doesn't he ever tell me what's going on?"

Dino squirmed in his hide. "Look, I already said too much. Squalo is after the boy and he's really close. Why do you think _I_ was sent to Namimori instead of someone from the Vongola?"

She had a lot of ideas, actually. "Vongola has been compromised. Xanxus has taken over. Iemitsu is a dick. You're a brother figure to Tsuna. You went to school with Squalo. You're from an allied family. Combination of all, most likely."

"Informants are always so quick to grasp the situation." Dino propped his head on his hand and looked at her through big, curious brown eyes. "Why do you dislike Iemitsu so much?"

There was a spark of warmth in her chest when she heard him talk like that: straightforward, calm, demanding. A proper Boss but with his heart in the right place. It's all that mattered in the long run.

She mimicked his position, mulling things over. "I don't dislike him. All I like is framing him."

He slipped out of his calm in an instant. It was almost comical. "That's not a good thing to like!"

Reborn had a bad hunch when Dino called. Fiona investigated. Fiona met Iemitsu. Iemitsu is on business here. The Vongola Rings are on the move. Squalo is trying to get them. Whoever the decoy is is probably going to die. Dino is here to save Tsuna from certain death, too. Eventually someone is going to find out about the fake rings. Things will spiral down into utter chaos. "He wanted to groom me into succeeding his position at CEDEF," she answered eventually.

Romario nearly drove into the nearest lamp post.

Fiona rose a brow. "Is there a problem with that?"

Coming to the driver's rescue was his own boss. Very admirable of you, Dino. "B-But that's a great thing, isn't it?"

"I am not a plant."

Dino sputtered. "Wha-What?"

Before any of them could say something else, Fiona's phone rung. She briefly caught Reborn's name before she received the call. "Yes?"

_"We're at the City Mall and the Varia is here. My hands are tied," _he said, his voice strained for a baby. In the background she could make out the faint sounds of fighting. She exchanged a worried glance with Dino. _"Hurry up. At this rate they won't make it."_

When he hung up, the last sounds she heard were those of explosions.

"We need a plan."

* * *

Once the smoke cleared, Tsuna dropped to the ground. He was exhausted. He was terrified. He was battered, with the Dying Will Flame sizzling out before its due time. Everything hurt, but the worst was that there was no end in sight.

Yamamoto and Gokudera were on the ground, unconscious. The two of them, who had always been so strong, had lost to the stranger within the blink of an eye. Tsuna hadn't fared better. The boy next to him—Basil, he told him his name was—looked no better for wear but he still wanted to fight and to entrust the brunette some sort of rings and it was all so very _confusing_.

The silver-haired swordsman stepped up to them, grinning wickedly. "Vooooi." His voice was deep and chilly.

"This is bad," he heard Reborn say from the vending machine, overlooking the scene. Why wasn't he doing anything?!

The swordsman stopped a few feet away from them. They were in no fighting shape, even if Basil and he were to fight together. "Before you hand that over, how many pieces do you want me to slice you up into?"

Basil stretched his arms in front of Tsuna, making up a weak, trembling shield with his body. He couldn't be much older than Tsuna, and looked only marginally stronger, with a slightly more defined set of shoulders. Still, the strange boy with the dirty blonde hair was little more than a kid. "Lord Sawada, do not hand it to him." One that was stuck in Old Japan.

Tsuna looked at the box in his hands. "What's going on?!" he asked. If he had to die today, he at least wanted to know the reason!

"You're ever the same, Superbi Squalo. Isn't it embarassing being so rough on kids?" Tsuna's eyes widened at the sound of a familiar voice. The features of the silver-haired man looked equally surprised and they both turned to look to the side.

Dino stretched his whip taut between his hands, one of his men waiting behind him. He looked dangerous the way his eyes hardened at the sight of their enemy and Tsuna felt more than elated to see him standing there—he felt saved. "D-Dino-san!"

Squalo didn't share the sentiment. His eyes slanted, piercing the newcomer. "The Bucking Horse?"

All Dino did was grin grimly. "If you don't stop this distasteful game of yours, I'll be your opponent."

_HIE! Can Dino-san really take on such a strong opponent? _Absentmindedly the small boy clung the box of rings closer to his chest.

The silver-haired man's expression turnd from thoughtful to grinning again. "Hey, Bucking Horse. I have no problem with killing you right here. But if I fight people from allied families, the higher-ups will be nagging me." His sword scratched against the floor as he turned to face the Cavallone Boss, movement almost lazy. "So for today, I'll quietly..."

Suddenly there was pain. It erupted all over his head and belatedly Tsuna realized it stemmed from the roots _of his hair_. The man had him dangling by his own hair. "Not go home!"

Dino's whip lashed out. "Let go of him!"

Tsuna closed his eyes and yelped in fear. But the moment the whip met steel, he heard a faint clicking and sliding sound before Squalo used the same attack he'd used on Gokudera and Basil earlier: tiny grenades shooting out from openings on his sword. Within a moment Tsuna was dropped to the ground under the cover of dust and debris and a thick layer of smoke engulfing him.

"I'll leave their lives in your hands," Squalo said when the smoke started to clear. Dino hurried over, kneeling over the brunette. Then Squalo held up a box in his hand and with a start, Tsuna realized exactly what kind of box it exactly was. He looked down at his hands but they were empty. _The rings Basil gave me...!_ "I'll take this with me—"

"I don't think so, shark-boy." Nimble fingers grasped the box from his hand, a silhouette hidden in a remaining thread of smoke. _That voice... could it be..._

The man turned in motion with the box, following as it disappeared over his shoulder. "Fisher," he growled.

"I'll be gone now," Fiona said with a nod in Dino's direction, "hiding what shouldn't be found." Tsuna looked back and forth between the two. He knew Fiona kept up with Hibari at school but could she manage to outrun this maniac?

Dino's expression was thin-lipped when he returned the gesture. Fiona turned to run. Squalo lashed out with his sword and Tsuna gasped when the blonde only dodged by a hair's breadth. "VOOOI!" he jumped in front of her, blocking her path. "You're Vongola, too, so you shouldn't meddle in my affairs."

"Get out of there, Fiona!" Dino yelled.

She kept the box close to her body. "Thank god it's my job to do exactly that, right?" She darted to the right but his sword was there in a moment's notice. Fast...! "Besides, we're not fighting." Cross-side slash. She dodged by jumping back. "We're—" Aiming for the neck. Ducking. "—just dancing," she managed as she tried another dash. "Let me through!"

And then he got her like he did with Yamamoto and Gokudera.

Her lips made a perfect _oh_ when the sword pierced her side. Tsuna trembled when blood seeped into the white dress like a crude flower. "Well," Squalo snarled as he took the box from her fingers and pulled the sword out with a horrible sliding sound, "while you are still part of Vongola, most people won't mind if you die today. Hell, I'll probably get a reward for it."

Fiona coughed up blood. "You bastard," she muttered, clutching her side. All it did was redden her hands and fingers.

Squalo smiled smugly. "See ya." And then he bolted away, as fast as his attacks.

This couldn't be it. He couldn't just pop out of thin air, beat up all his friends, destroy parts of the city, steal something and then just disappear like that! Tsuna tried to stand up but his legs wobbled like jelly. From far away he heard Dino's voice telling him not to move around, felt a gentle touch on his shoulder, hot tears prick his eyes.

Sirens blaring in the distance turned his attention back to the current situation and away from the helpless state he was in. There was no way they could chase after the swordsman, not like this. "Boss, it's the cops," Dino's subordinate said.

"Does he always tell such dry jokes?" Fiona hissed through her teeth. Tsuna blinked. He hadn't even noticed her moving over.

Dino smiled though it was short-lived. He nodded to the black-haired man before picking up Basil's unconscious form. "I've prepared an unused hospital. Let's go."

_Wait, no_. "Gokudera-kun and Yamamoto are...!" They couldn't leave like that. He still had his friends, the two who had worried about him in the first place, who had taken him out to play, who had instantly come to his rescue as the always did. It was just like with the attack from Mukuro. Was there really not a single thing he could do but watch and shake in fear?

"No need to worry about them," Fiona said, nodding in his direction. He turned to look over his shoulder.

"Are you okay, Tsuna?" Yamamoto yelled as he ran towards the small group.

"What was up with that guy?!" Gokudera followed.

The brunette smiled and his legs wobbled for a whole 'nother reason. Fiona smiled at him, large sunglasses mirroring his own beaten self. "Like cockroaches, all of us." He wanted to laugh but all that came out was an embarassing giggle. So long as they were all together, they were safe.

_Thank god._

* * *

**A/N:**

**What a monster to write. Bit on the slow side (though with lots of action, how is that) but it's kinda needed. Informants do all the funny stuff before the main action happens. Fiona and Iemitsu have a past together? What's the dream about? Is Tsuna going to fight one day (we all know that one)? I predict new revealings by the time the battles roll out!  
**

**Thank you for reading and see you around!**


	23. A Deal Hidden Behind Their Eyes

**I don't own ********_Katekyō Hitman Reborn!_****.**

**Guest Reviews:**

_NewFan:_ **Thank you very much for the kind words! Hope you managed to get through your college day despite the sleep deprivation. ;) I'm a bit late on this one but finally there is more for you to lose sleep over, uhh, read!**

**Guest Reviews ******– The End****.

**If you find any mistakes, do tell me. ****It's a bit rough around the edges. **

* * *

** Target XXII: A Deal Hidden Behind Their Eyes  
**

* * *

Tsuna didn't like hospitals. He still remembered his last visit vividly and the mere thought of it was enough to set off goosebumps. And while there wasn't a dangerous Hibari toying with him, or Gokudera enthusiastically talking him to death, nor a strange room of unknown origin, the atmosphere of the one he was in currently disturbed him nonetheless.

It was one thing that he disliked hospitals in general. Far worse to him was visiting his friends in hospitals.

The boy was still unconscious and attached to a respirator. His hair was a dirty blond, long and shaggy and unkempt as nobody had bothered with anything but trying to save his life. He looked young and Tsuna guessed him around the same age as him. Though he couldn't call him friend in no sense of the word, the sight reminded him of the two times his own friends had been hurt severely enough to be completely out of it and in hospital care. Ryohei, when he was assaulted by the then mysterious attackers from Kokuyo Park and Gokudera, when he faced one of them to save _him_ out of all people, the useless, scaredy-cat Tsuna.

The boy had done the same and to a stranger even. It made the pang of guilt inside his chest grow all the stronger.

Silently, the door to the room slid open then shut as Dino entered. "How's Basil doing, Romario?"

Romario bowed his head before straightening, standing still as a rod next to the bed. "His life's not in danger. Looks like he's been trained well." Tsuna frowned and fidgeted on his chair. Trained? He was only a boy, who'd train somebody for the deadly situation they'd found themselves in?

He'd waited for nearly an hour now, as the doctors still worked on Basil and Fiona by the time he had been released from their care. Gokudera and Yamamoto were released the quickest, though more out of their own will than the doctor's okay. They'd left the hospital bristling with wounded pride.

After sitting around uselessly for all that time, he decided it was as right a moment as he could hope for to find out what exactly was going on. "Um... who is he?" He pointed at the boy. "Is he a member of the Vongola as well?"

Dino hesitated for a long moment. "No, he's not," he said eventually. "What I can tell you for sure, though, is that he is on your side." His smile was thin-lipped but warm.

"What?" The silver-haired swordsman had said the exact opposite: that he was from Vongola. How could it be? "What's going on? Vongola is the enemy and the one who isn't is on my side..." It just didn't make any sense. Was that man—Squalo, he remembered his name again—even allowed to go against him? He was the Tenth candidate— "I mean, I don't _need_ enemies nor allies," he quickly added. He did not just go down that line of thought, no, no!

Tsuna really should've expected the answer. Reborn entered the room via window, landing on the nightstand and looking vaguely serious.

"But Tsuna, you can't say that anymore," Dino started, expression soft and almost_ pitiful_.

"'Cause the rings have started to move," Reborn finished.

* * *

The hospital was situated on the outskirts of town. It was small, barely housing more than two dozen rooms, but it was clean and well-kempt. Once upon a time it had been the private property of a rich doctor but when he died without giving the hospital over to someone else; the City Council not interested in buying it after the new Namimori Hospital in the center of town had been opened; and people losing interest in it but for the occasional movie setting; the hospital was soon abandoned.

And that's when the Mafia came into play. They acquired plot and building and refurbished the hospital to new modern glory. Once again in private (and shady) use, the hospital found a new profession in offering a temporary base of operations (stashed with all sorts of dangerous things) for any allied family in the area _below_ the actual hospital still in functional use when the need arose.

At least that's what the wrinkly brochure from the late 90s said about the history of this place. Fiona flipped through the remaining pages. What a mafia-enthusiastic writer. Half the stuff he wrote was romanticized shit. _And without the generous Debiti family donating both medical equipment as well as professional personel, the hospital would not be the same._

Yeah, only that now the Debiti family disbanded due to taking up too many loans that they couldn't pay back. It's not that they were rich to begin with. Couple that with the fact that its members had always been way too altruistic for their own good and they did a great job spiraling towards their own doom. All the other mafia families profited, so nobody really bothered helping them.

There was a knock on the door before it gave in and Dino popped his head into the room. "You up?" he asked.

"Mhm," she hummed, still scanning the content of the brochure lazily. Dino slipped inside and sat down on her bed. Fiona rose a brow—_sitting equals talking. Lots of talking._ Apparently he was in for the long haul. For that there could only be one reason. "I assume Tsuna didn't take the news kindly?" she asked.

Dino grinned sheepishly. "You got me." She's a ridiculously good informant, that's why. There's also the fact that his puppy-eyed face is ridiculously easy to read, especially when he's let down, but psst! "He still thinks he can avoid responsibility."

Fiona raised her other brow to keep the first one company. "Are you one to talk?" Tsuna wasn't supposed to get the Vongola Rings before his eighteenth birthday. Things were only going to get messier from now on.

"I learned to be a responsible boss at some point!"

"After, like, 277 escape attempts?"

Dino's eyes widened. "How do you know the exact number?"

"Reborn and I occasionally hold a conspiratorial meeting in which we have an important exchange of information that are crucial to the success of our mutual mission in Namimori."

"... You mean you're gossiping."

Fiona shot him a brilliant smile. "Me? Never." He shook his head and laughed.

"How are you holding up?" He asked next. "You knew that the rings Squalo took from Basil weren't the real ones, but to go as far as to take a direct hit to make it look real is commendable."

Her eye twitched in annoyance. "Did it look like I wanted to get hit? My dress is ruined." Perhaps Kumiko had some miraculous tricks that would help get the stain out but otherwise there went her only white summer dress. "Still, he didn't manage to hit anything vital. The wound just bled like a bitch."

That was the strangest thing she couldn't get out of her mind. With his ability, Squalo could've easily landed a lethal blow on her or at least a severely incapacitating one. He had to know that, despite having to keep from directly interfering (as she _was_ still part of Vongola), she would become a problem for the Varia sooner or later anyway. Maybe he was just that sure of Xanxus.

If Xanxus won, if he turned the next Tenth, Fiona was obliged to obey his orders. All of Vongola would have to. It might be that the only thing saving her from certain death had been her particular skill set. Squalo would know her worth—they'd worked together before.

With the Varia's infamous success rate of 90% it was inevitable that an up-and-coming informant from the Vongola would catch their attention eventually. They never offered her a spot inside their own ranks—they were an independent assassination squad after all—but they did ask for cooperation on the narrow 80-89% chance cases that their own informants couldn't raise any further. She upped their chances all the way to 95% but it was among her most notorious work dealings. Half her bad reputation stemmed from these independent contracts.

Alessio did somewhat regular work with them, supplying the organization with the needed passports to cross borders. Apparently the one in most need of his skills was some kind of prince in hiding. She never really bothered to dig deeper. She'd mostly talked to Squalo, the de facto leader of the Varia at the time, and that was an experience in and of itself.

She put the brochure away and placed her palms over her stomach. It was strange how quickly things managed to escalate out of their designated patterns. Tsuna was supposed to get a lot more training before the rings were to be brought up. This early, a scandal with Xanxus at the center of it and Iemitsu in Japan...

_She doesn't like the sound of her own voice. It's pathetic but she can't keep the desperation out of it. "I need you to vouch for me. I told you the truth, so **please**."_

_Iemitsu doesn't move from his position and his face is expression is set in stone. Only his eyes, they betray his feelings with both an indignant and sad glimmer. "Is this really the only way?"_

_It takes all her strength not to fall to her knees then and there. Her wounds are still fresh and scarring and she's lost more weight than she initially thought. "___I know I'm only adding to your burdens but,_" __she grits her teeth__—a pang that makes her blink white__—but she can't take the morphium, it makes her mind sluggish, "you can't tell a living soul."  
_

_He nods. "It's your head on a platter."_

She'd need to talk to Iemitsu. Amidst the chaos Xanxus caused it would probably go unnoticed but still, she had to be careful. Fiona gingerly touched the left side of her rib cage, an old wound above the one Squalo had inflicted. The less she thought of it, the more she shut it away, the better her chances of survival.

So she did. As always.

She stretched to keep her hands occupied and changed topics. "How's the boy?"

"In a worse state than you but stable. He should wake up soon." Dino leaned against the foot end of the bed, casually occupying the space next to her legs. He drew a hand through his blond mane in thought. "Is it true you weren't informed of our arrival beforehand?"

Fiona nodded. "It's why I was at the airport in the first place. Reborn sent me out to find out what someone was trying to hide from him. I guess it was Iemitsu's plan to enter the country as stealthily as possible but we can't be careful enough." She frowned as an idea clicked together in the back of her mind. "If the boy was a decoy, who has the real rings?"

Dino fumbled out a black and gold-rimmed box with the Vongola insignia on it. He gave her a lopsided grin. "Tsuna ran off before I could give him his half. We still have to distribute the rest to their respective owners."

Fiona stared at the box and she stretched out a hand. "Give them to me."

"Huh?" Dino looked protective of the box all of a sudden, stashing it away in the inside of his jacket again. "They were entrusted to _me_. By the external advisor no less!"

"You'll trip and one of the rings will fall into the sewers or something," she deadpanned.

"I'm not that naïve!"

"No, you're just clumsy."

"I swear it was the shoes back when we were running across the parking lot. Look, I'm wearing a different pair now."

"Dino, we can hold this discussion all night long."

"But then I won't be able to distribute the rings." He sent her a cheeky grin.

Sometimes, and only sometimes, he was really stubborn. It was too bad she had a soft spot for that smile of his. She raised a single finger. "You can at least tell me who the Guardian of Mist is going to be. Though I have a vague idea, it's physically impossible."

He blinked. "You know the rest already?"

"What do you think I've been doing the past seven months? Gathering daisies? These boys' personalities speak volumes. My job was to supervise the potential candidates and cultivate the proper traits if need be. It's how I support Tsuna's growth." At his expression (sad puppy) she quickly added, "It sounds worse than it is. I'm not going to force them into accepting their roles. Besides, they naturally grew into them anyway."

He shook his head. "Informants. I get your use but the things you're juggling are scary. I'll tell you everything you need to know, don't worry. But first I need to consult you on another matter. Reborn said you're an expert on it."

"Shoot."

"The Cloud Guardian..." Dino pulled out a slip of paper from his front pocket—she felt severely underdressed in her patient garb—and turned it around to reveal a photo. Fiona blinked in confusion, then full-on laughed. Expert, my ass. Reborn's a first-class jerk.

Dino's eyes jumped from the photo to her, wry smile playing by his lips. "What's so funny? I heard he's a troublesome guy."

"Oh, definitely but I know how to get to him," she chuckled. She genuinely needed to get her hands on that photo. It was cute. It had Hibird on it, which was a rare thing. The bird landed on Hibari's knuckles, one tiny leg still in the air and wings fluttering, while he observed the action. He looked remotely intrigued and even _friendly_. The photo would make for superb bribing material, especially when in need of Kusakabe's attention. "Make sure to mention the names Tsuna, Reborn, Fiona, and if you can manage to slip it in, Kokuyo City. You can use variants such as _baby_ for Reborn or _your best buddy_ for me. That's all. He's really easy-going after that."

"I get the feeling I'm walking right into a trap..."

"Me? _Never_."

* * *

As the day drew to an end, Tsuna wished only for one thing: to escape to his room and fall asleep. Avoid everything and everyone that was even remotely involved with stupid mafia stuff. It was a pain in the ass, only hurt others and definitely illegal and dangerous.

That his father came home didn't help his mood one little bit. It actually worsened at the sight of the drunk man sprawled out on the carpet of the living room, empty beer cans surrounding him like a halo.

With that kind of Dad it was no wonder no one took him seriously.

Earlier than usual Tsuna went to bed, hoping that the next morning would bring some semblance of peace. He was doubtful but eventually he fell asleep.

Not for long.

When his door crashed open he shot up screaming, survival instincts kicking in. The light from the hallway momentarily blinded him and before he could try to escape the huge shadow standing _inside his room_, it spoke in an annoyingly familiar manner.

"Tsuna." It sounded warm and goofy, if that was possible. Not at all threatening.

Tsuna rubbed his eyes. "Wha—?"

Filling out nearly the entire door frame was his father, complete with fishing net and rod. "Want to go catch breakfast?!"

"Wha..." Tsuna slurred out more slowly, eyes as big as saucers as he watched the near-ecstatic face of his father. Much too early in the morning. "No... I have school tomorrow... I pass," he said tentatively.

Iemitsu only continued grinning. "All right." And then he crashed the door back close.

_What was that? Catching breakfast? Was that the first conversation in two years...?_ Tsuna lowered his head back into the pillow. Well, if he wasn't just steamrolled by his own father 4 o'clock in the morning... If things continued this way, coupled with Reborn as main dish, his life was going to be a wreck by the time weekend came. Perhaps it was all a dream after all. With a shudder he closed his eyes and fell back into a restless sleep full of fish-headed Reborns. His father was trying to catch one while Fiona loaned him a boat. Weird.

Little did he know about the surprise waiting in store for him the next morning. He awoke to sounds, a happy shrieking to be precise. "High and high you go~" _Shriiiiek-gyahahaha. _Tsuna blearily opened his eyes. After a moment's confusion, he recognized both voices. _Dad..._ he thought as he stretched. _I bet he's playing with Lambo now._

Just then the cow-printed form of Lambo soared past his window and Tsuna jumped from his bed to the window. "So high!"

Lambo landed with a loud crunch in the grass. Moments later he started wailing. "Sorry, I wasn't looking," Tsuna heard his Dad say. "Oh, I know. Let me give you a magical water that will stop the pain!"

In record speed that would have made Reborn proud, Tsuna was down at the balcony and slid the door open. "Don't make Lambo drink sake again!" He quickly threw away the cup in Lambo's eager hands. He screamed and went to get it back immediately.

Meanwhile his father (and here he'd hoped that it all had been just a very bad dream) was in a similar state as he'd found him yesterday; half naked, with only his boxers and a tank top for dignity. "Hey, Tsuna~" he slurred. He couldn't be drunk already, could he? It was seven in the morning! "You've been sleeping ever since Daddy came home. I thought you were avoiding me and that broke my heart..." He even snivelled a bit—_wait are you actually telling me I'm the reason for your excessive drinking?!_ That's the lamest excuse ever!

"The one who was sleeping all day yesterday was you!"

His father seemed undeterred by his words, even happy as he scratched his stomach and watched his son. "And how is it? How's school?" He pat the space next to him. "What was it, math? Isn't that some funny stuff?!" He laughed. A little too loudly.

Tsuna nearly slapped himself. He's forcefully trying to keep a conversation going and it's _awkward_. Besides, he was going off tangents! "It's... nothing funny." He could just use breakfast as excuse to escape this situation, right? Right, where was Mom when he needed her...

"I see, I see." Dad pulled out a memo block out of... oh god he better not think about _where_. "While I lived overseas, I wanted to tell you about all sorts of experiences that I had. So I made memos for all kinds of things." He still grinned like an idiot. Tsuna really hoped he wouldn't inherit that sort of smile. It was embarassing.

"Eh?! I-It's okay... I don't have to listen..." _Your life won't make a good example anyway. _Why did he have to put up with so much stress early in the morning? _Mom, where are you, please distract him...!_

"Oh, okay." After a moment's pause, Dad noticed something and perked up again. "What's that, Tsuna?" He whacked him in the arm. It hurt. "You're looking sexy. Isn't that a pendant?"

_A what?_ "Eh...?" Tsuna looked down at his chest. And then he saw it—looking conspicuously innocent—glinting in the sunlight, all metallic and cold and...

He caught the ring around his neck in a death grip. "What?! This... this ring is...! That horrific Vongola ring?!" The ring with the ultimate bloody history. The ring with which he had wanted _nothing to do with_.

Ignoring his father entirely, he ran to the one person he knew had tangled him up in another mess: Reborn. He slammed the door to his room open in a rare fit of angry panic. "It's you, isn't it? The one who put the ring around my neck!" he yelled.

The baby hitman sat in his miniature chair enjoying a miniature coffee. "Not me," he promptly answered and took a sip.

"Don't lie! Who else besides you would do it?!"

There was a sharp edge to Reborn's eyes but it was gone so quickly, Tsuna thought he might've imagined it. "You didn't hear anything from him?" _Sip._

Tsuna frowned. "Him?" Who was he talking about? Dino? "A-Anyway, this has nothing to do with me. Don't involve me!"

Reborn looked at him. "What are you saying? It has everything to do with you."_ Sip._ "The Vongola Ring is the proof of the next Vongola Boss."

Silence.

_Sip._

Tsuna succumbed to panic. "_WHAT?!_"

* * *

It didn't take long for Reborn and Tsuna to leave the house. Fiona watched the pair leave, Tsuna pulling at his hair while Reborn looked as if he didn't care the slightest.

He did. He may not show it through his expressions and actions but this _was_ an emergency situation. The hitman cared for the Tenth-In-Training in his own way. Fiona slipped from the roof and righted her school uniform before ringing the bell.

Nana opened the door with a big smile. "Oh, Fiona-chan, what a surprise! I was just about to hang out the laundry," she greeted her, a basket full of overalls in her hands. That Iemitsu... his choice of clothing just doesn't get any better. "Tsuna just left the house. You can still catch him if you hurry."

_I don't think so. Reborn will most likely put him under a strict training regime after he's met up with the rest. _She'd left the hospital just as Gokudera entered. From his determined expression to the ring dangling from his neck it was clear the bomber had been called over for a meeting of sorts. The rest will follow. _I waited for this moment. __It's my only chance to talk to him in private. _"Actually, I wanted to say hello to his father. Sawada Iemitsu-san, right? He and my uncle work together, and I've heard a lot about him." The lie passed her lips with ease.

"Oh my! Is he a man of dirt, too?" Nana's eyes practically shone with excitement.

What exactly was Iemitsu telling the woman?

Fiona smiled politely. _Just play along. _"No, my uncle's the paper pusher guy. He regulates all the formalities of the job."

"Of course! How else would anyone get their paycheck!" Actually, Alessio was pretty harsh when it came to paying. He constantly found a way of cutting her salary, that's for sure. Like, '_a suspicious dust particle was found on the desk. There's a chance it could be traced back to you. Sloppy'._ That's the kind of guy he is. It made her plot for revenge just thinking about it—"Dear, you have a visitor. It's Fiona-chan, your colleague's niece!"

Who was plotting for revenge? Surely not she. Back to business.

Iemitsu came out in nothing but an undershirt and boxers, scratching his stomach. "Wha—"

"Alessio," she chirped in between. "_Definitely_ heard of the man."

Despite the sunglasses she had a feeling her glare came through. Iemitsu laughed and it resonated with warm recognition. He's good, she'd give him that. "Of course! That stuck-up guy! Isn't his birthday coming up soon? I should send him some good wine as present."

Oh, you little... Fiona put on her sweetest smile. "Please don't. We don't want a Sahara-Siberia incident _ever again_."

"Maybe sake?" He pulled out a bottle.

"Over my dead body."

Nana picked up on her work, humming as if everything was just fine. Fiona entered the house and followed Iemitsu into the kitchen. For once it was empty and quiet.

Iemitsu plonked down on a chair, every bit as comfortable as his appearance. Too comfortable, actually. He looked like a hobo with his stubble and the bottle he _still_ kept in his hand. "So, what do you need, Fee-chan?"

Fiona made a face. What a horrendous nickname. "The same as always: information." But she wouldn't give him the pleasure of getting riled up. He was the head of CEDEF after all and he _knew_ she preferred her full name.

His eyes were the same color as Tsuna's; a vibrant brown. Only that he eyed her with the look of a dead fish. "You're too serious. Wind down for once, you just got out of hospital."

She sat down opposite of him, mindful of her sore side. He's well informed. "With you in the country and the Half Rings in Tsuna's possession? No way."

He slammed the bottle on the desk, grinning, but this time she could spot the faint glimmer of seriousness in his besotted eyes. Iemitsu acted as well as she did and she'd made it a habit to watch for hidden signs in his eyes. The rest of his body language was useless to her—too good a self-control to slip up. "Don't worry about my being here! I'm just here for private reasons right now."

"Of course you are. I doubled-checked protection for you." Fiona glanced at the door to the balcony but it was shut close and Nana busy with the laundry. "Until your little ploy with the rings is found out, that is. Then you're here on official business and I'm gonna shove you into the limelight to deal with it."

"Bit egocentric, are we?"

"Bit trustful, are we?"

He rubbed his stubble, eyes playful. "I thought you pride yourself in your ability."

There was a reason she started wearing shades. It sat in front of her. She would not give him the pleasure of reading her eyes. "For your son I wish we met under better circumstances but I'm glad to see a friendly face." Fiona smiled and this time it was genuine. "The shit you talk aside—it's good to have you on our side."

"Haven't reached my limit yet."

"I'm not letting you, Dame-_Leone_."

"Now you sound like Reborn."

She placed her hands on the table. "_What's going on in Sicily?_" Even if Nana wasn't one to eavesdrop, it was better to stay careful so she switched to Italian.

He was suddenly more open in his behavior. "_To be frank, everyone is moving according to my bad hunch,_" he said, his fingers steepled. It made for a queer picture, him in underwear but being all serious. That's why she didn't trust his body signs. "_I'm buying time. I've just sent a message to the Ninth and am waiting for official orders._"

Perhaps he was more talkative because he hadn't had the chance to before. If CEDEF was acting on his orders alone... Basil hadn't even been informed about the rings being fake. Something was definitely off with the whole situation. And she was perhaps one of the few persons he could talk to about it without risk of revelation. _You really do trust me wholly after that time..._

Then again, she'd played right into his hand. He knew he could trust her unconditionally because she needed him.

Her expression blank, she went straight for the issue. "_Official orders on what?_"

"_He wants Xanxus as his next heir. I don't. We need to come to a consensus._"

Fiona briefly looked to the side then back to him. That was the only reaction she allowed herself, an open sign of thoughtfulness for him. "_Not his usual pattern._"

Iemitsu leaned back into his chair, watching his wife hang out his clothes in the garden. "_It sounds very out of character, doesn't it? Something must've changed his mind._" His eyes hardened. Fiona frowned. "_You probably haven't heard about it but Xanxus has been back for nearly a month now. He's been leading the Varia again._"

He's not telling her something. "_And you think he might by vying for the position of Tenth via dishonest means. That's why you took your half of the rings and gave them to Tsuna._" What was he keeping secret from her?

He nodded. "_Exactly._" He stood up and back was the goofy hobo air as well as his Japanese. "Well, it was nice meeting you! Give Alessio my greetings and this bottle of sake!"

She smacked the bottle away. "I'm in this, too."

Iemitsu caught the bottle before it rolled off the table. "No, you're not. You can't choose sides because both Xanxus and Tsuna are members of Vongola." His eyes were like steel now. "As are you."

Fiona stood up, fueled by a seething warmth inside her belly. Her height was nothing compared to his but she knew how to fill a room in different ways: usually a blank slate, her presence when unsuppressed filled up the whole living room like a leaden weight; a constant static waiting to crush someone into obedience.

No, her presence was no less threatening than his, the Young Lion of Vongola. Her heart pounded against her chest. "You're not leaving me out of this mission, Sawada Iemitsu."

He smiled appreciatively. "I would let you in if I could," he started, "but I can't. As you may remember, it was me who vouched for your innocence during your trials. Therefore I'd like for you to respect the fact that you _are_ still Vongola and not a vigilante as many treat you. Act the part."

This was not good. Getting riled up like this was not professional. But the mere thought of sitting and waiting made her sick to the stomach. It was like—

_The door is opened for her. Immediately her nose is assaulted by the enticing smell of food._

_She wants to vomit. On his face, if possible. Then again, that'd show a weakness and she's not about to show him anything she doesn't want to. "Good morning, Fiona. I hope you had an enjoyable rest. The previous day was rather... stressful, wasn't it?"_

_His right hand is covered in bandages. Good. The men flanking her push her inside, hard, metallic weapons a constant reminder of her situation. The smile slips easy onto her lips and her gait doesn't betray the sore wounds. "Well, it does so happen that the occasional person dies on the job. It's so tragic, don't you think so?" His smile is hidden behind a mask but she can feel it, the mockery, the smugness, the thin veil of victory he believes he's achieved._

_As she raises her fork to eat food that doesn't taste, she knows that she won't kill him. She doesn't kill. Leave that to the hitmen._

_No, she will send him into a hell worse than what he's put her through. Even if she has to die in the process, she will make sure he knows genuine **fear**._

Fiona snapped out of her memory a moment too late. Iemitsu observed her with a watchful gaze. It was happening more often recently. Maybe it was because of her staying in one spot too long, getting comfortable, working directly with the Mafia again. No, she knew better than that. It was all because—

"What are you going to do? I don't believe you to be the indifferent type." The sudden shift of focus rammed her with the full force of a train, that for a single moment she didn't even realize it was her voice speaking. The past forgotten, all she focussed on now was the presence.

Iemitsu scratched his beard again. "I'll be observing their training. Told you: right now, I'm here for private reasons."

Yes, technically he wasn't even here as the external advisor. And he was giving her a way out, a loophole inside the rules. Fiona thought of the ring bearers. Gokudera, Lambo and Tsuna were all part of the Mafia, if not of the same family. The other half, however, _wasn't_ directly involved in the Mafia—Ryohei, Yamamoto, Hibari. And then there's the Mist Ring bearer...

And then she found it, the loophole. "Let me watch over the non-Mafia part for you. I mean, somebody has to instruct them on their... _rights_." Members of the same family couldn't fight. Members between allied families couldn't fight. But if someone wasn't in the Mafia, that left them ripe for the picking. Anyone interested could get involved.

Iemitsu's eyes glinted with mischief. Then he fumbled the sake bottle again, looking at the ceiling. "Well, if you say it like that, I can't really say no, can I? Technically they're not under anyone's jurisdiction. Bit unfair, don't you think so?"

She clasped her hands together dramatically. "Exceptionally so! It shall be remedied as soon as possible. Just leave it to me." Before she left him to his own devices she had one last question to ask. "Any changes I should know regarding the job description?"

He shook his head. "Nothing of concern."

She turned to leave, hair sailing behind her and heart soaring in anticipation. "See ya around then."

This time, things would go her way from the start.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Oof. This chapter was written with hamster bite-progress. I'm swamped with things to do for college and work so the best I can do is try to whip out a chapter per month. Just a heads-up!**

**Anyhow, I'd like to hear your thoughts and suspicions on this one. We're getting into the thick of it, that is, about what the hell happened to Fiona. I'm excited! And hungry. Damn, it's late.**

**Translations:**

_Debiti_ **— literally means '**_debts_**'**

_Leone_ **— Lion**


End file.
